The Prince of Light and the Mouse who made Light
by Lucar1o
Summary: The end of the SSBB has arrived, but before all goodbyes are and the brawlers can return to their lives, a force mightier than Tabuu whisks the competitors to a strange and hostile new world. After who knows how long, the Prince wakes from trophy stasis in this world. He is not alone, but joined by the yellow mouse pokemon to defeat the evil force and save the brawlers.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

Please read and review!

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The Prince of Light and the Mouse who made Light

Chapter 1:

The sound of waves resounded about Marth like those on the shores of Talys, the island where the young man had spent a good part of his childhood with his fiancé and her father when his castle fell.

At this point in time though, it was hard for the prince to tell if the waves were far away or even there at all. His vision swam between darkness and a grayish faint light that danced above his eyes. Weary of the darkness, Marth's eyes began to adjust to the grayness until a mix of tan and dark green joined it.

He was on a beach. Dark cumulous clouds overhead made everything ahead a darker shade of its original color. Marth slowly rose to his feet. Talys…. He could have been back there to greet Caeda's father if _that _hadn't occurred. Or even at Marth's own kingdom of Altea to return to the life that awaited him in the castle where he was born. The appearance of _her_ changed that like when the allied kingdom of Gra turned on his father leading to its destruction. In both of those instances, no one had seen it coming and in a moment everything he knew was gone.

After rising to his feet, Marth wrung out saltwater from his clothes and hair from apparently washing onto shore. He trekked considerably from evenly timed waves as not to further be drenched. Taking a seat on the notably damp sand from a dense humidity that hung in the air, Marth removed a blue drawstring back from his back which he was wearing in addition to his regular attire for a much anticipated occasion. Marth sifted through its contents for something to help him in his current predicament. He came across a water bottle, his journal and pens, other personal items and, a round peach. Every brawler, Hero or Villain, had been given one as a parting gift by the Mushroom Kingdom's princess. The end of the tournament had arrived and if _that _hadn't happened everyone would have been home or at least on their way.

Marth heard the excited chatter and sad farewells on looking the crowd of smashers gathered for the official closing of the Super Smash Brothers Brawl Tournament. The same cliff where they had gathered looking upon the sunrise at the beginning was now the place where they would see each other last and the sunrise was replaced with a the sun disappearing over the ocean.

Vehicles which included Fox and Falco's Great Fox, Wolf's Wolfen, Captain Falcon's Blue Falcon, and Meta Knight's Halberd were among of the ones Marth recognized that were parked along the cliff's edge. They had been parked there for the duration of Super Smash Brothers Brawl and were preparing when the sun disappeared from the sky.

Marth had said his proper goodbyes to all the fighters giving an extra farewell to Meta Knight and Ike who had been steadfast companions even before the tournament had begun. Since the duty of bidding farewell to his fellow competitors was done, the prince had separated himself from the others and retreated away from the edge to where he could view the whole sunset and the backs of the smasher's heads. From the blue drawstring bag Marth unraveled a folded piece of paper and indulged himself in Caeda's handwriting.

"Dear Marth, I hope this letter finds you in good health." Marth began reading to himself the details of the lives of those he had left for six months. His best friend had visited from the country of Pales with Marth's sister to get married in Altea. Marth would be in time for the wedding once he got back from the tournament. In his stead, Caeda was running the kingdom with the help of his advisor, Jagen and council. She wrote how it was rather difficult running the kingdom now that all the countries in Achanea were making preparations to become united as one. Marth wondered if he would be able to take the pressure of keeping the land in order when he returned. Aside from that, everyone in the kingdom missed him and even the little dragon girl accompanied by her elderly dragon guardian had stopped by asking the whereabouts of the one she called "Mar-Mar." Scanning where she had signed her name, Marth eyed a post scriptum but read it in his mind. "P.S. We can make our own wedding arrangements as soon as you come home." Marth shoved the letter back into the envelope and was soon approached by Princess Peach who had noticed the soon-to-be-king was alone.

Smiling, Peach handed him a peach as a parting gift which she was giving everyone to enjoy as the sun finally set and fireworks were set off. Unfortunately, he wasn't in the mood to eat it, thus placing his fiancé's letter and the round peach into the drawstring sack on his back when she walked away. Guilt took him for a moment for his discourteousness with Peach's fruit, but it disappeared when large fireworks erupted into the sky dismissing his thoughts and replaced them with awe of the multicolored display. The summer stars even seemed to dull in comparison. Master Hand and Crazy Hand had made their way to the middle of the sky and a more magnificent display was put on than the last tournament.

They two hands waved goodbye to everyone present once the long display was over. Marth was heavy hearted watching the competitors disband to return to their worlds. A ship would come for him sometime but that wouldn't be for a long while. Suddenly, Marth's vision was obscured by a disturbing sight. Over the cliff's edge a dark cloud enveloped the sky and with a powerful gust of wind, blew away Master and Crazy Hands before they could even react to what was happening. From barely visible shadows, a figure emerged from the cloud with a strange light shimmering about it cast an off white twilight and further parted the brawlers who absconded into one of the vehicles lined around the rocky surface. Marth seemed to be the only who had not run, for he was too far away from anyone or anything to. He drew Falchion as the creature from the shadows took form of something rather hard to gaze upon.

Its right half was of a beautiful woman with milky skin and raven hair wearing a black gown and the left half was of a raven. The difference of the species was split clearly as if a line down the middle had been drawn. Possessing the voice of neither things she was composed of, her large wing flapped out toward Marth. "Come here." She said in the voice of some mix of a broken violin and an old hag. The raven woman was so far away, but it was as if she was right in front of him. His grip on the divine blade tightened until his knuckles turned white. The sword was held in front of him. Sweat rolled down his brow. "COME HERE!" The thing's screech surrounded him. It was like she was inside his mind screaming. Marth looked ahead, frozen in terror. In one lift of her left foot, she was so close to Marth her sickeningly sweet breath could be smelled.

And Marth got a nose full of it, for her beak-mouth stretched wider than his face. Sharp white nails from the woman's right side dug into Marth's cheek as she held him fast, sucking in some sort of energy from him. Stunned, Marth let these cerulean colored waves escape from him, weakening him as those waves disappeared into the mouth of the monster. The world was spinning away in a blur of colors from the smashers out the corners of his eyes, the twilight and the woman. His gaze fell, but as it did so, Marth hazily made out that his sword had pierced the woman's stomach with fresh black droplets coming off the tip. Taking control of himself and the little strength he held, Marth thrust upward earning a scream of pain from the raven woman. Her cry was earsplitting. The force of a thousand stakes against chalkboards filled the air. The prince felt red liquid rush out the sides of his face in his attempt to cover his ears. The beast stumbled back a couple of feet and fell on her human knee. Marth rushed at her to finish the job, but an orb in her hand a rich red color was formed in her hand and held up high. It sent a wave of pain surging through Marth starting from his chest and radiating throughout his whole body.

Already tired from his last ordeal, Marth fell to his knees and looked around. From the vehicles, the other smashers doubled over one by one. It was the last sight he saw before succumbing to blackness.

In the present, on the beach, Marth felt emptiness on his head and realized his symbol of royalty was missing also that the letter from his fiancé was gone from his bag. He picked up his sack and the items that had occupied it and raced back to the spot he had landed, the effects of the oppressing humidity seemed to be everywhere but still a little bit bearable.

The letter was soggy, but still salvageable and his crown was half buried in sand. The letter was returned to his bag. Scurrying away from an incoming wave, Marth brushed off the sand with his gloved hand and applied the crown to his head. As he looked around him, he realized the act was somewhat futile. He was a prince -a king to be actually-and that title mattered before anything else. But, there was no one to recognize that fact. He was utterly alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

Please review and read!

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Chapter 2

Marth hefted the bag over his shoulder and began walking forward along the shoreline with no destination in mind. The beach felt unfinished in an unsettling way. The only aspects of the beach were the sand and water. The crashing of the waves were rhythmic and reminiscent of Talys, but seemed fixed in the sense that they only climbed up to chase Marth's feet away then gave up and retreated back to the rest of the body of water. Not a single rocky face, bird or seashell existed on this beach. The young man noted a gradual rising of temperature in the oppressive humidity which occupied his mind as he continued in the empty landscape.

It was so humid, the sand he failed to expel from his fingers, arms and face clung to his skin in addition to the wet hair that stuck to his face. The heat was slowly becoming nothing short of unbearable to the point he felt like he was breathing in air close to a heating vent. As soon as he wiped the hair out of his sweaty face, a thick fog settled on the beach along with a familiar sense of fear that assaulted his instincts for a reason yet to be known.

His field of vision was grayish white, but it soon mixed with yellow when the mouse pokémon made its presence known. Though Marth had registered the creature as Pikachu, it did not ease the mounting feeling in his gut. The pokémon uttered "Pikachu" repeatedly with a sense of urgency as it raced to the prince's side. Its gaze was focused on a slow darkening of the fog in front of Marth.

Out of the fog, a hand seized his neck tightly making Marth gasp first out of surprise and then for air. It was so swift; he hadn't the time to even touch Falchion. That thought made the prince panic.

The raven woman's wide bird eye sized up her prey again. The beastly side of her head was turned to face Marth, putting him in an even more desperate struggle from her grasp. The mouse who had watched the horror unfold at the initial situation at the end of Super Smash Brothers Brawl, gathered enough gall to use Skull Bash, ramming its head into her from her raven side before she claimed anymore energy from Marth. This caused the raveness to toss aside Marth like a rag doll into the sea meriting worry from Pikachu watching the prince fly overhead with a miniature comet tail of blood coming from the back of his neck where her claws once again pierced him. Pikachu called after Marth, but he had yet to resurface. She then proceeded to clench her hand to her side and began coaxing the sea with words of a strange language into a large wave.

The half raven being commanded that wave in a series of odd sounds at Pikachu, throwing water and a washed up Marth into the pokemon leaving both to sputter on the bland beach. The pair watched her leave and as soon as she did, the fog, humidity and even the foreboding clouds lifted like a weight. It took Marth a moment to realize the fear had faded as well and he was left once again to wring seawater and dust sand off himself before the water and sediment weighed him down. All of his possessions were soaked but still there except for one item that left Marth with a somewhat empty feeling. Taking it for lost in the sea when he was thrown, Marth looked around and saw Pikachu next to him. "Are you okay?" Marth asked the electric pokemon who occupied itself by shaking off water droplets like a dog. A reassuring "Pi" served in place of a yes. "Thank you for saving me back there." Marth told Pikachu, as they both prepared to set off.

Marth, Pikachu and possibly all the other smashers were transported to a different world which the raveness controlled. She definitely needed to be stopped and he needed to find all the other smashers before she got to them and….

Marth shivered at the thought. Over a faraway horizon, the blue haired prince spotted a sunrise in this strange world. Pikachu trotted alongside the young man who took comfort in the fact he had a somewhat unusual companion to travel with. Marth began walking toward the sunrise in the comforting direction of east when he noticed Pikachu was gone. He turned around to find the Pokemon holding something in its paws. The item that he had taken for lost in the sea.

It gave Marth back his crown.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

(Listening to an hour and a half of the most brutal dubstep drops while writing was intense, haha.

I also went ahead to watch some lyric videos for some of my favorite Skrillex songs and totally thought "Am I really reading dubstep noises?")

I would like to thank the people who took the time to review! I appreciate it!

Expect me to update near weekends sporadically.

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The morning sun was now above Marth and Pikachu's heads. The blue haired man and pokémon had walked considerably and had decided to take a break. They were headed for the horizon and were on the lookout for any fellow smashers. Taking off his bag as well as taking a seat directly on the sand he ceased walking, Marth took out the peach and cut it using Falchion right down the middle. One half was handed to Pikachu and the other was inserted into his mouth. When both had finished their fruit, Marth took out the water bottle each and each took a swig.

Soon, the two were on their feet again. The sun had barely inched west when Marth was stopped in his tracks by Pikachu who directed his attention to a vague rectangle shape far away. Pikachu took off in a sprint towards it, apparently picking up on what it was. Marth ran after Pikachu and eventually made out what it was seeing. It was a large sand stone gate that had intricate patterns of thin red lines upon it.

Marth and Pikachu stood face to face with the stone and wondered how to go about opening it. The prince leaned forward to inspect the obstacle when he noticed the red lines begin to move. As soon as his breath reached the first line, the red line sprouted short insect legs, antennae and crawled away. It was a centipede. Soon, the other red lines seemingly scrawled onto the rock exhibited the same behavior as the first one until there were hundreds of centipedes moving past Marth and Pikachu making the Pokémon take refuge on the prince's shoulder. In minutes the gate in front of them was barren. To Marth's surprise, the rock gate fell backwards and collapsed. The force of its fall created a cloud of sand that made the duo have to turn away.

The cloud cleared and the two turned back to where the giant structure was. Climbing over the slab of rock that fell onto the sand, Marth and Pikachu gazed over what awaited them over the gate.

That was…. nothing.

Well, nothing but a canyon in which the bottom was a dark pit. The other side was visible, but so far away the only means of getting to the other side was flying. Even if Marth or Pikachu could fly, there was no telling what kind of uncontrollable beings lurked in that canyon.

Marth felt defeated for but a moment before going back to cooking up a plan to get across. There was nothing on the beach to help them. The sea created a waterfall to his left and any sand he kicked up into the canyon disappeared into the unimaginable abyss. The two stood staring off at the other side, helpless and crushed after the sun had sailed to the position of high noon. Marth was ready to turn the other way, but hope was not lost as a luminous, but blinding glare filled their visions. Marth and Pikachu were forced once again to turn away for avoidance of permanent eye damage.

When the horrifically bright light dimmed to the point it only slightly shimmered, Marth and Pikachu both turned. The sight that they were met with was nothing short of surreal, for it had been practically invisible just moments before.

A glittering glass castle floated over the canyon, an outstanding wooden drawbridge- that didn't match the rest of the structure- opened for the two to just waltz inside. The canyon's darkness had made the translucent castle fade and even now the castle floor was but an outline, but the sun had shed some light on the tangibility of the structure. Marth and Pikachu looked at each other-still baffled by something neither had seen before- and made their way inside unaware of the danger that was waiting just around the corner.

On the verge of walking in, the sun's light faded and was replaced with a gigantic ebony candled chandelier in the middle of a large room. As though the uncovered glass exterior were a camouflage, the walls were covered by a thin rocky material like that of the gate. However, the floor was still devoid of any kind of wood or carpeting clearly exhibiting the depths that waited should the floor fall through. When Marth and Pikachu stepped off of the wood, it was as though they were walking on air. Their images were glossy and blurred as they moved from vases and tables. The transparent décor, though made of the same material as the floor were filled with an orange light from the chandelier revealing recognizable items like a long dining table that was under the light emitting ebony fixture and sets of glass eating utensils, plates and goblets were about. A door stood behind the head chair of the table, most likely where the maids and cooks brought out food. They were in a dining hall of sorts.

Curious as to why the door opened to a dining all instead of the usual grand hall, Marth decided to tour the unusual castle and look for any clues pertaining to the other smashers and passed through the door behind the head of the table with Pikachu trailing behind him. His assumption of a kitchen was thwarted when the room became the grand hall he sought earlier. The same chandelier from the dining room had seemingly followed Marth and Pikachu to this room for it was in the middle of this room too. At the end of said hall was a wide staircase that branched out to the left and right when a mirror stopped its progress.

Marth and his companion split up between the two staircases with Marth going to the right and his companion, but when they reached the top of the relatively short staircases, they were each met with contrasting hallways. Marth had never seen such a castle design before, not in all of the countries in Achanea. That was saying something since he had visited a multitude in his two quests to defeat the Shadow Dragon. Beside the fact everything but the walls and chandelier were of glass, he wouldn't call the design impractical but certainly not conventional.

Pikachu turned from its staircase to face Marth and its brown eyes nodded at the prince's blue ones signaling that they should further split up. So with that, Marth found himself journeying down the hall alone and gradually away from the chandelier's light in the grand hall.

Marth was aware that there were faint outlines of torches in the hall. But as all other things in this castle, they were composed of glass and therefore impossible to light. Marth heard nothing but the echo of his own footsteps and breathing sounding in the somber hallway. He was less than mirthful when the last beam of light finally vanished.

Getting a notion he could come face to face with something in this new unknown, Marth's hand went directly to his divine blade. He felt comfort in its hilt with the blade held out in front of him as he walked. Marth heard a "clink" and ever so cautiously extended his hand to the source of the noise. Marth breathed a sigh of relief.

A door knob.

However, he tensed up again as he fathomed what may be behind the door the doorknob was attached to. He rubbed the back of his neck. Marth had been done that a few times in his and Pikachu's excursion from the sea. First, it had been because the saltwater had stung the wound and to prevent anymore blood from staining the collar of his tunic, but now it was because the memory and possibility haunted him. With his sword never leaving his hand, Marth twisted the knob expecting the worst, but hoping for the best.

Pikachu had gone down a fully lighted hallway thanks to bizarre little chandeliers- that looked like the large chandelier in the hallway had offspring- hanging overhead to illuminate the way. There were several black doors lining the sides of the hall, but Pikachu's eye had been caught on a particular red one at the very end of the hall.

With its destination fulfilled, the mouse Pokémon jumped up and turned the knob for it was not tall enough to reach it by itself without doing so. The door swung open and there was pitch blackness, but a tall figure could be made out in the dark. One of the little chandeliers began to swing, shedding light on its identity. It was not the prince, but a trophy frozen Princess Peach.

Pikachu cocked its head and wondered if it could be booby trapped. It wondered if the trophy was real, or would just dissolve into shadow bugs. So, with bated breath, Pikachu landed its pudgy yellow hand on the pedestal. Sparks jumped from its red cheeks as it did so. It could never hurt to be careful.

With the familiar golden beam, Peach was brought back in a daze looking somewhat confused of her new surroundings as much as the yellow mouse had been when it had somehow washed ashore on the same beach as Marth had.

She had only the time to thank Pikachu, when she was thrown to the right into the door frame by a tremendous bang followed by a quake that rocked the whole castle. Pikachu immediately recognized the shaking was coming from where Marth had split going down to their respectable destinations. Peach was driven on by Pikachu before she had any idea what was happening. Pikachu noticed she was wearing a drawstring bag similar to Marth, only that it was pink.

The mini chandeliers came crashing down, and Peach had to push Pikachu out of the way when a chandelier's aim became the Pokémon's head. With the yellow mouse hugged to her chest, the earth swayed again, this time to the left and sent Peach crash into one of the black doors making the door fly open.

Peach's left hand was off of Pikachu to catch the doorway. She looked behind her and saw a fiery fate, felt the flames all too close to her and heard a cracking noise she thought was from the fire. Peach quickly took hold of the knob and pulled the door shut, but carelessly took a step forward and almost into a fault made from when the floor first shook. The cracking she heard earlier was not the fire. Peach was on her toes figuratively and literally as she stood on a small edge separating her from a surely screaming falling death. The mini chandeliers fell into the oversized crack, but out of the crack hundreds of flaming centipedes crawled up who caught on fire presumably from the lit ebony fixtures that had taken their descent into the rift. They lit up the whole floor and were starting up the walls surrounding Peach and Pikachu.

Peach's only escape was by her umbrella she drew out of her pink bag which she used to sail over the flaming tyrants and the crack to the end of the hallway now that all of the chandeliers had fallen. She was running out of height by the time she saw a throne and landed on top of it. To light the new room was another enormous black chandelier exactly like the first one Pikachu saw. The Pokémon held its breath and hoped that it wouldn't fall and light up every centipede in the room.

Cracks littered the ground around her and Pikachu with red lines zipping across the ground. Pikachu was rather worried that those red lines would eventually find their way up the throne to swarm them. But in the midst of the peril, Pikachu realized that the castle rooms were shifting. The end of that hallway should have led to where the two staircases parted and where the prince went down the path of darkness, the hallway where minutes before he had let all heck break loose.

When Marth had opened the door, he had raced back at least ten feet to avoid being crushed with adrenaline and last minute instinct his only guides. A giant black drawbridge had extended well into the hallway he had traveled down obliterating glass and stone. Marth had made it away just in time to avoid some of the larger debris.

Light poured into the hole made by the drawbridge that emitted unforgiving rays. It was powerful enough to melt the one whose eyes had practically adjusted to the pitch blackness. Marth naturally shielded his vision from this making him unprepared for the trembling following the drawbridge's descent. He was flung into the wall and sank into a sitting position wide eyed and breathing heavily.

For a couple of minutes it was hard to tell whether his head hurt from the blow caused by the less than unforeseen tossing or the one to his eyes from merciless sunlight. The quaking picked up in magnitude. He picked himself up off the floor before a wobbling glass torch ensured he wouldn't be able to.

His vision had adapted to the light enough to process what was going on. He found himself escaping from a fissure that was forming right from under him, one of many including ones from the walls. Centipedes wedged their way through both the newly made crevices and larger fractures forcing the blue haired prince to make a break for the drawbridge. It was his only salvation. He had no time to regret any of his life choices with centipedes turning the outside of his cape red like the inside.

For the princess and the prince's former companion, things were grim. The black abyss the glass had displayed earlier was now an inching red sea. The only thing heard was the disgusting sound of insect legs moving over one another. Peach hugged Pikachu even tighter to the point it was being practically smothered by white glove. Her umbrella served little in repelling the creeping things, only to set her tool infested. She let go of Pikachu to brush off the multi-legged horrors.

But instead of climbing to the top of the throne where it would have been safest, the pokémon jumped onto a patch of red. It danced on exoskeletons until a "PIKA!" was barely audible over the busy legs of the centipedes.

A massive black cloud loomed over head for but a moment until a Thunder attack crashed down and connected with the Pokémon. The floor lit up not with orange and red, but with flashing yellow. The electricity conducted from the Pokémon to the monsters making them all fall down in massive waves of writhing curves. Peach watched in relief and awe as the centipedes' spasms slowed down until they were all dead. The awe suddenly turned to revulsion when the smoke rose from their bodies leaving the smell of the victims lingering about her. Pikachu beckoned her over to a black drawbridge that had been previously blocked by waves of red. Peach followed Pikachu out to the fresh air after putting her umbrella back and holding her nose.

Wind blew a dreadful burning smell from behind surrounding Marth with something awful. The sound that had sounded like a thunderstorm abruptly stopped, making Marth turn around to see a running Peach and Pikachu. All the centipedes were dead. Marth had a good idea of how their death sentences had been carried out.

"Prince Marth! It is good to see that you are sound!" Peach breathed to the prince. She had witnessed what went down at the closing ceremony and had been worried. Marth could tell what the princess was going to ask next. "I'm fine. I had another run-in with that raven woman, but Pikachu assisted me. We are the only company that seems to have escaped trophy stasis. How fares you, Princess?" "I'm well. Pikachu saved me from those dreadful things." The princess said. Marth smiled. "I guess we both have Pikachu to thank for saving our hides. "However, the prince's tone became serious again. "Zelda is atop this tower." He said turning his gaze upward to a tiny window on a tall white tower where the Hyrulian princess could be barely made out by Peach and Pikachu. The drawbridge they were standing on extended into a staircase that coiled around said tower. "We must hurry before something else means to stop us."

The two monarchs and Pikachu ran up the staircase. A prince rescuing a princess from a castle reeked something of the stories Maria-the foreign princess Marth had saved from a hostage situation- frequented reading, at least according to her older sister. The circumstances that brought him to have to rescue Zelda were nothing like how those stories of knights, princes and damsels went. There should have been an evil wizard or giant dragon, but Marth did find a giant _centipede_.

The floor under him began to tremble again on the midway point of their journey. He had been running nearer to the edge than Peach or Pikachu and barreled off the edge as soon as the once thought staircase spiraled upwards. Peach's gloved hand grasped his arm and pulled him up before sharp black legs impaled him. Marth's divine sword was removed from its sheath and stabbed into the trunk of the black centipede as soon as it began picking up speed. With both hands on his sword hilt, Pikachu occupied his shoulder and gripped his sleeve. Peach grabbed onto his arm only for the reason of not falling off the rapidly shifting creature.

Her grip got even tighter along with Pikachu's as the ride got even faster. The clear lines of brick building the castle began to blur horribly along with everything else around Marth. The centipede spiraling upward toward their destination was beneficial in aspect. However, he only had one chance at the window. It looked so small from the near ground, but distance had distorted its size giving the prince a little bit of hope. He was waiting for the perfect moment.

Marth jerked out his sword and called out "Now!'' He was sure it was carried off with the wind, but found all three of them jumping off at the same time. It happened so quickly Marth lost his footing for a split second and the rest of him rolled like a log onto the floor. Pikachu and Peach were dragged down with him.

Pained once again, Marth extended his arm out to his side to get the Falchion that got out of his grasp when he rolled. He did feel something hard for a moment before it became a yellow flash and felt cloth in its place. Zelda blinked and looked down at three brawlers sprawled about the floor around her. The prince was the first to get up, followed by the Mushroom Kingdom princess who was clutching her side and the disoriented Pokémon. The first to rise was the first to speak. "Princess Zelda, There is no time we have to leave."

Marth looked at a giant centipede head when he attempted to leave. He looked back and was handed his sword by Peach which he preceded in using to stab it in the head. Taking hold of the hilt, he took advantage of the centipede bowing its head from the pain as an opportunity for all of the gathered smashers to jump across onto the head.

As soon as all of they were all across, Falchion was yanked out again. The giant centipede reared up. The smashers were flung into the air in slow motion sailing across the blue sky for an eternity.

The reason they lingered so long in the sky was because Peach had her umbrella. Making a ladder type formation, their hands being linked was the only thing that saved them.

Sailing gracefully to the other side of the canyon, the company watched the centipede concede defeat by falling into the uncovered darkness below.

After a while, Zelda's feet were the first to touch solid rocky ground. She was followed by Marth, Pikachu and Peach. Zelda thanked her rescuers. Pikachu was the only one who had not heard her. Its attention was directed toward a foreboding tunnel behind them. In faded letters it read, "Subway."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

Please R&R!

I would like to thank the people who the time to review! I appreciate it!

I only ever played the one Fire Emblem game I got three years ago. That's Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. I played it so much I memorized half the dialogue and cleared every mode except Five Stars: Merciless. I know the rest of the stories from Fire Emblem Wikia which I spent time on to make sure I was accurate.

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"_Who would have built a subway out here in the middle of a desert landscape?" _would have been the question asked by all the brawlers present. However, with all the madness that had taken place in a time span none of them were even sure about, the brawlers merely accepted it. After a moment's rest and food in the form of Peach's surplus peaches, the brawlers began down the subway steps.

Pikachu felt a twinge of sadness having to trade the blissful sunlight for the darkness it had to endure for so long a short while ago. The Pokémon had no time to grieve because the rest of its company had already traversed down the steps without a second thought.

The tiles on the walls turned into the wide space with large corroded poles and platform where people would board a train. Only, there was an absence of people and only one unmoving train sending an ominous aura coursing through the air. To further unsettle them, metal train's LED lights were the sole illumination of the station it seemed. Its lights beamed off the rotting benches and rusted newspaper stands. However, the smashers could not become bathed directly in said light because the doors and windows were shut. A drop of water fell from the ceiling onto Pikachu making the Pokémon's fur bristle. The Pokémon temporarily dismissed it.

Peach kicked something as she carelessly skipped in front of Marth, Zelda and Pikachu. She knelt down to pick it up and earned alarm from her friends as she yelped.

It was a dead black rat, and a relatively large one at that. It looked as though it had drowned with gravity making the water hit the floor as Peach displayed it to her fellow smashers before throwing it away in terror. The smashers exchanged grimaces, but ultimately continued on after slow nods from everyone.

More rats appeared at their feet. The rats' eyes staring up at nothing were glazed over by the LED lights of the subway. What really unsettled Pikachu were the variants among the dead. It began with missing tails and missing feet, but soon became more graphic. Pikachu had to look away and try to focus on its track. Pikachu's focus broke again when its fur bristled. The mouse found itself padding through cold puddles of dried blood mixed with the dew on the rats' fur. These puddles stained Pikachu's feet reddish and filled its nose with that distinctive coppery smell that sickened Pikachu even more than the already pungent smell of the corpses. To bamboozle Pikachu's senses even more, the Pokémon heard a continuous drip from far off. It hoped it wasn't the only one who heard it because it was tormented by sharp hearing.

Marth stopped the group when he noticed Pikachu was lagging behind. Pikachu was the only one not wearing shoes and got the full brunt of their surroundings. The Pokémon thought it was considerate when the prince knelt down and picked it up, soiling his black gloves. It took its regular position on his shoulder, dirtying the light blue tunic to a dark red color. Marth didn't seem to mind though; he seemed more concerned about a dripping sound that approached his company with every step they took.

He reminded himself that he needed to stay completely focused on something else besides the water. When the group had begun their trip into the subway, it hadn't taken Marth long to figure why he bothered to urge his friends forward.

There was a light at the end of the tunnel.

A twinkle actuality.

The golden twinkle of Lucas's trophy pedestal gleamed on the top of the conductor's car. Marth and his friends walked for the purpose of caution, as to not run straight into a fissure or the mouth of some monster. The dead rats were certainly a red flag for danger. At the rate they were going though, he gauged that they were less than halfway there.

He took another step in this slow pace, but stopped abruptly at Pikachu crying out right next to his ear. The poor Pokémon practically jumped at another drop of water that fell from the ceiling onto it head. Marth stroked Pikachu's back to ease its shaking. The latter calmed down, albeit only in a small degree.

Marth took a few more steps. However, he was put on edge when a portion of the ceiling cracked and dumped water and concrete onto the opposite shoulder Pikachu was on.

Marth hadn't even the time to brush off the concrete before another portion of the ceiling burst leaving a continuous stream of water and rock in its wake. This time it showered Zelda and partly Peach. Peach stepped back into Zelda to avoid this new danger and tripped over the hylian princess's dress sending them both onto the floor. Zelda turned into the more agile Sheik- who lacked a dress- and pulled Peach into her just in time to roll the both of them out of the path of one of the larger pieces of falling debris followed by a torrent of water that continued to leak after there was an absence of concrete. Sheik and Peach got up and patted themselves of water but were close to the train tracks that were filling up with the liquid.

The roof was caving in and the subway was beginning to fill up like a bathtub with the plug on the drain. A heavy rain had started. Marth had little hope of any of his possessions ever staying dry. The princesses patted themselves off for nothing.

Slow and steady would not prevail this time. Marth had to think fast. He could feel Pikachu shaking now that the water was at Marth's shins and rapidly ascending. Marth vomited in his mouth a little watching dead rats float past him. The Pokémon was becoming as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof, except for the fact it was a mouse. Marth shook his head and surveyed what he was going to do next. He was good at thinking on his feet since he had to often change strategies to alter the tide of the fight.

In this situation, the opponent was the water. And like the cost in every battle he had ever fought, Marth and his friends would have to pay with their lives if they lost.

The train! They needed to get into the train to avoid drowning, but what about Lucas?

Marth was torn, but chose what was best for the rest of them at the moment. The water was at his waist and so were the bodies. Marth tried not to look down. He waded- now that the water was approaching his ribs- over to Peach and Sheik and attempted to wedge open the door with his sword, but the weapon could not penetrate it. The great commander then requested a fireball from Sheik. Sheik made a powerful fireball and blasted it at the door, with more might than she would have used in the tournament because of the surrounding water. The blast made a large hole in the door large enough for all of them to get through. The smashers made a mad dash into the train. This action only delayed their fates for as soon as the smashers made it inside the steel car a flood followed them inside rocking the train as it crashed into the wall close to Peach bringing dead rats with it.

Not daring to look back, the group tore through the subway car to avoid death. In their flight, Marth hadn't anticipated the door to the next train to be closed. He called on Sheik to use another fireball, which she did breaking open the door as well as the door itself. The metal door joined the dead rats in the ever-growing monster flood.

Marth urged his companions faster, putting significant distance between them and the flood but also getting to Lucas who was in danger of washing away into the unknown at this rate. Another few doors were blasted out of the way, but the flood was becoming even faster as the vast amount of water- that could now climbed up to the window- surged into the train. The crashing force made the lights flicker and also claimed precious seconds from the smashers when they had to hold onto the poles to keep their footing until the shaking stopped.

One of the quakes was particularly hard, throwing everyone off guard. Marth dared looked out to his left at a window for a moment and saw a large black rat's face staring at his own made scarily clear courtesy of the LED train lights. There was just no way a rat could get that big or survive underwater, or a centipede for that matter.

Marth's friends went on to escape. Pikachu saw the prince stop and jumped off in panic. The youth lingered for just a moment in disbelief when he saw it was no rat at all. The giant thing swam past, rat body morphing into that of a shark but still possessing the head of a rat as well as paws the same species as it head. The variants of the dead rats on the platform it couldn't be… Marth was snapped out of his trance by a loud voice.

Sheik had stayed behind and grabbed Marth's arm. "What the heck are you doing?!" Marth was speechless, but mindlessly followed her. The water was so close. It was folly stopping for even a second and now he was going to take Sheik down with him.

Sheik was the one to take him, but she took him upwards through an already open door on the ceiling holding his hand as she used her hook-shot to get them through. Marth flinched when he heard the water hit the closed door below. It was still raining, but the rock falling from the ceiling was becoming progressively smaller. The change did not promote sunlight from getting through. The only light was now under them and the rest of the subway features underwater. Pikachu and Peach were on top of the train already aware of the rat-shark, but neither had seen it to the extent the prince or Sheik had. Peach had her parasol over her and Pikachu even though she was already wet.

Lucas thankfully had not fallen off the train, much to the group's awe. Marth and his company continued their path faster than ever before. The same thing could be said about the rat-shark who butted the side of the train trying to knock one of them off into its jaws. The friends were spurred on by the fact that they were almost there dodging debris and the bigger water leaks. We just need to gather a little more distance!

With its head above the water, the rat-shark let out some kind of demented squealing noise. The smashers all felt a unanimous feeling of adrenaline rush in addition to their speed upon that because they knew that had to mean something bad.

It most certainly did. The giant beast leapt up in front of them separating them from Lucas, and landed on top of the conductor's car rocking the whole thing and splashing water up for the water level had exceeded the whole train. With its rat legs, it charged at the brawlers. Marth reached for Falchion, but his hand would never touch it like his second confrontation with the raven woman.

Instead, it was his turn to ask Sheik the question she had asked earlier and Peach too. Sheik summoned up a fireball bigger than he had ever seen before, so big it was like she was holding a miniature sun. She threw it at the beast and it gained more speed with Peach spinning her parasol at light speed sending it flying faster before the water got to it. It was like a comet. The rat-shark hadn't the time to react and was sent flying backwards into the wall over Lucas making a hole in the wall. They couldn't celebrate yet, though. The giant thing peeled itself off the wall with its paws and fell into the water, definitely not down for the count. It growled as it did so, and let a screech out at a weaker degree than before.

Sheik and Peach just realized how tired they were and doubled over out of breath from everything prior. Marth couldn't join them because it was still dripping and there was still the business of freeing Lucas-

Who got eaten by the Rat Shark?! Marth watched mouth agape as the hybrid monster jumped up without warning and clenched Lucas's trophy self in its jaws then disappeared underwater.

Marth was far from giving up though. Pikachu was the only other one with energy to spare since it hadn't run as much as its companions. So, the two got close to the end of the train and eyed the murky depths scanning it for the beast who took the psychic prisoner between buck teeth.

The water around them was now a sea of dead rats and murky water that climbed almost three-fourths up the train. The water had completely filled the train, but the vehicle miraculously provided light from below.

Marth wiped hair out of his eyes and glanced at Pikachu. The mouse was looking for the rat. The prince could see the yellow Pokémon had stopped quivering. The surroundings must have unnerved it earlier, but Pikachu seemed fine at this moment. Marth drew out Falchion when the brute poked its head out of the water. The rat-shark was swimming slower than before; a sign the fireball had worked.

It made its move first and raked sharp claws into the side of the train making the metal loudly, and attempted climb up. Marth saw it the monster didn't have enough energy to pull itself up and stayed hooked there. The monarch seized this opportunity to strike it in its eye, but other than recoil in pain, it was unwilling to let go of its prize as much as Marth was his sword. The prince back flipped over his assailant's head at a futile attempt to butt him off. It got Pikachu who had been watching the prince prior to the attack.

Pikachu was hurled into the water. Luckily, it saw the attack coming at the last minute and had time to steal a breath. Pikachu's heart was racing out of its chest when the rat-shark started for it at blinding speed. In desperation, sparks crackled from its body that conducted through the water straight to the creature effectively shocking it with a whopping number of volts.

Like Peach at the castle, Marth only saw the water light up with yellow flash. The train lights underneath him flickered for the duration he saw the flash. The next was the rat- shark coming up belly-up like a goldfish. Marth waited in anticipation with a recovered Peach and Sheik.

Pikachu resurfaced with Lucas in tow. All three monarchs sighed in relief and helped the drenched mouse and soaked psychic up. The rain wasn't stopping and they needed to find a way out before they all drowned like the smaller rats.

Marth eyed an orange door where the rat-shark had been blasted through earlier. Their escape was found.

Marth tapped Sheik on the shoulder and pointed out the orange door. Princess Zelda in disguise nodded back at him and got all the smashers to link hands once again. She used her hook shot and shot it at the wall around the hole. Getting a solid grip, she pulled them all away from a cold grave.

Sheik turned back into Zelda and opened the door for all of them. She was the last to see the new sight that sent even more waves of confusion to Marth and Pikachu who had been there from the very beginning.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

R aNd R pLeAsE

I would like to thank the people who the time to review! I appreciate it!

All of the scenarios in this story come from my dream journal where I got the inspiration for this story in the first place. If you're wondering why Marth and Pikachu, it's because my sister is always Pikachu, and I am always Marth.

Sorry I've been gone for so long. It's been total anarchy for a while and I haven't been able to really get near my computer or even touch my writing. I also how to use FF and forgot my password. (My B.) It's not like "I will only write if a bunch of people review this." I'll write until the whole story is done no matter what.

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The orange door opened. The smashers emerged out a dark tunnel into a blazing light of another kind.

Stadium enclosed a thing concrete oval.

Marth took a gander at an empty race track. Metal bleachers and towers of bulbs enclosed a concrete oval. Slim numbered cars were parked beneath a checkered banner. In the most circumspect manner, the three monarchs, psychic and Pokemon entered the steel coliseum weapons drawn.

They set foot onto the asphalt with bated breath.

Marth looked up to scan the sky for imminent danger. It took him a minute to register that it was indeed night time in this mysterious place. Had one day already passed?

Two red moons hung high. No world any of the smashers had described at the tournament had two red moons as large as those. The prince was interrupted by a collective sigh of relief from behind.

Marth urged his companions to keep on guard. His efforts were in vain, for he could see that his friends were all exhausted by the day's tribulations and were worn down to a nub.

Marth sighed and smiled. He couldn't help it either. He had been running on a few hours of sleep at most thinking about going home and half the peach he had gotten from the princess of the same name.

His friends made themselves comfortable up on the metal bleachers surrounding the stadium onto higher ground. Marth climbed up one bleacher higher than his friends. He laid his belongings about on the metal. Even though he was as tired as the rest of them, Marth resolved to put off sleep until he had recorded the day's events in his journal. He took out those items from his bag and paged through the journal under the red overcast of the moons.

He made it to a crinkled blank page which he dated to the day's date: June 31st.

His best friend's wedding was in a week and so would his crowning as king of the continent. He dismissed the dismal thoughts that came with the realization and focused on writing down what happened today.

He began to recount everything from the ending of the tournament up until the present. He was suddenly startled by a noise that turned out to be Pikachu's yawn. Marth left his belongings where they were and laid down on the bleacher, using his cape as a blanket. Sleep came almost too easily.

For Marth, it is cold. There is no feeling at all except for the steps he is unconsciously taking. There is no sound except for that of his breathing. There is a trace of a burning alcohol stench in the air. It is black, then the range of color shifts to a sea foam green. His eyelids are so hard to open. They close on him like the doors of a cage. There is lock on them he cannot open leaving him blind to anything but the sea foam green.

There is a voice. A woman's voice. It is familiar, but at the moment, hard to identify. He is… walking toward it?

"I hate." It says.

Marth wants to stop walking once he hears that. He's not sure why, he hasn't been daunted by anything like that in the past. He tries in vain to crack open his eyelids, to see the danger in front of him.

"Sad. N-no one helped me. So many times I have cried." She says in a weary voice then goes quiet. It becomes so quiet, there is only breathing again, until she starts up.

"I want." The voice gets louder with each singular word. "Brother. Monsters. The things I LOVE. Feel My PAIN." The absence of sound made every word the roar of a lion.

Marth's hand reached out to the direction of the voice. He couldn't open his eyes. The voice sounded human enough. He felt like he should touch shoulder and comfort her. He wasn't sure if that was even his intention in the first place.

"Trapped. I did nothing to them." Her voice quiets down considerably, weary again. The voice becomes higher, like that of a little girl. " At least I have…"

Marth's hand settled upon feathers. Wings? Marth let go of a breath he had no idea he was holding.

" Brother. It is you! I have wings like a birdie!" The voice says gleefully. Marth can open his eyes fully for the first time. He is not himself, but another young man in peasant's clothing. His hair is brown and long enough to reach down to his hands. He is standing in a hospital room.

The girl in front of him must be this child's brother. This girl is maybe five years old. She has milky white skin and raven black hair and a single black growth on her back. Marth feels this young man's arms wrap around the child. The youth cringes as his arm brushes the callous-like object.

"That is wonderful." The young man says, but it is forced. Marth can hear his thoughts. There is despair.

_No. Why her? If I had come sooner! A sweet girl like her wouldn't have to die!"_ The youth produced a knife, careful not to show it to his dearest sister. The knife is as dark as the crow -colored callous.

Suddenly, Marth feels hands shaking him violently from behind. He opens his eyes to the glare of the sun, which makes him turn away. The sky is brighter; it must be close to noon. Was it a dream or a memory? He is himself again.

Lucas is staring over him with wide, concerned eyes.

Marth looked up to find out whatever reason was so urgent.

A helicopter's searchlight glared at him from high in the sky. It had large guns turrets on the sides of it and a huge cannon-like gun on the top. Lucas readied a PK Fire, he obviously knew whatever it was going to shoot was deadly. Marth hadn't the time to even pack up his belongings before there was a loud exploding sound. A pineapple was fired at them from the cannon. Lucas deflected it just barely. The prince understood the situation and left his unpacked things on the bleacher. Marth drew his sword and followed a troubled Lucas down the bleachers base of the bleachers. The helicopter did not fail to take notice of the absconders though. The turrets began to spin on the sides of it, and citrus fruits were discharged at them.

As they made their way to the race track, Marth could see the evidence of the battle that had taken place not long ago. There were pineapples and oranges everywhere. Cherries were squished against the metal. The fruit carnage was spread about everywhere; the prince was becoming unsure of whether the sun dried red was the cherry stains or blood.

The psychic and the blue haired youth ran faster at the clatter of cherry pits, scarcely escaping the seeds. Marth's cape wasn't so lucky and was the example of the cherry's speed. It had as many holes as Swiss cheese.

His friends were all in sight standing on the grass in the middle of the field. The prince had obviously grabbed their attention since he was the reason the helicopter was no longer trying to pierce their hides with fruit.

Zelda used her magic to teleport up to the helicopter, and then launched a fireball. It was followed up by Pikachu's Skull Bash. The helicopter shook, but was otherwise unmoved.

The Hylian and Pokemon looked frustrated. They had obviously tried something like this before, but it had not worked and did not this time. The helicopter veered in closer to them to get a better shot.

The turrets spun again, Zelda turned into Sheik and leaped onto the cockpit window as she had done similarly to Fox and penetrated it with her hand, hopefully to drag the pilot out. It did not happen. Sheik gasped because not a soul was in the helicopter.

The helicopter reared up in pain like a flying bull with Sheik still on it. Fortunately, she just missed the high speed rotors, but Sheik flew off in front of the vehicle and was shot several times mid-air with oranges. Pikachu rose up and deflected the oranges with its tail. Lucas supported Sheik as she fell. She began to wobble just a little, but kindly brushed off the shy psychic's support.

Pikachu rushed to the prince's side and looked ready to rumble. Electricity crackled off of Pikachu's body, but the mouse was shaking too. The sight in front of them was enough to rack anyone's nerves.

On the contrary, the prince stopped abruptly upon the unexpected opening of the cabin door.

The raveness hissed at him. She stepped out and her feet gripped the landing skids. The helicopter moved right in front of the prince and the mouse upon her command. Her wing swung out, and she began to speak. "Brother," She said voice creaking, "I will make you know my pain after all these years!"

Pikachu had already leapt at the raveness, but she had anticipated that. She glared at Pikachu. Her eyes turned bright pink. "I know your pain." She said to the mouse in a condescending tone.

Pikachu tensed up and stopped itself in mid-air. Its eyes shifted to the same disturbing pink color and its hair stood up. Marth picked up on this quickly and snatched up Pikachu in case something might happen to it. The Pokemon was growling, but it wasn't fierce determination anymore.

_I'm scared. I don't want to die. I will survive because I can't die here like this! _The raveness read Pikachu's thoughts and giggled.

_Is that so? _The raven woman offered. I will kill your friends and then you. _Why not save yourself the trouble of dying and…_

Marth fiercely looked at the raven woman, wanting to attack her, but felt Pikachu begin to crackle with electricity in his grasp. At a particularly painful shock, he let go with a cry. The electric mouse turned to face him much to the prince's confusion. Pink eyes fixed on Marth and in a flash, the mouse Pokemon jumped at him with a Quick Attack, nailing him in the stomach.

The air was knocked straight out of him while Marth skidded across the concrete. His armor was the only thing saving him from road burn. His crown was gone. He got up. Falchion was firm in his grip. The blue-haired man focused on the sound of his sword's metallic scraping against the asphalt as he staggered to his feet again.

Through blurred eyes, he saw the large gun on the top aim at him. The pineapple came at him in slow motion. Marth could count the time mentally.

One: The raven woman's eyes returned to normal.

Two: She jumped to the ground.

Three: Marth saw her as a color: Black, with only a few swirls of white.

Four: His vision focused for a split second on her eyes.

Five, Six: Those eyes said. "This wouldn't have to happen if you had not_"

Seven: Marth hears a sickening crack from the pineapple hitting him in the chest. He is blown back. Marth hears the denting of metal from behind him, but he is too occupied with shockwaves of pain screaming at him mixed with a painful ringing sound. He coughs up a dark red glob of blood which stains the asphalt. Some of the blood stains his armor. Was the crack his armor or his ribs? Marth couldn't get up this time. When he looks up, he can only see a blurry half the menace of the pineapple. The rest had splattered when it hit him. He looks over to his right whilst slouching against a red car. Falchion is so far away from his vision on the ground. Silver in a mix of gold and green.

The next thing he knew was that the monster is done using Pikachu and forces Marth to his knees by holding him by the neck like a shot game fowl. Her prey is as limp as one anyway. She tastes the delicious energy, when she is rammed from the left by red metal.

It's Peach and Lucario! Lucario jumped from the cramped space only built for one person and gets Marth away from the raveness. The prince's armor had saved him again. Lucario brushed kicked off the pineapple and took Marth away onto the grass. Lucario stayed by the prince's side while Peach drove off into battle.

Peach closed the door to the car and slammed the gas, preparing to ram into the beast again. However, she had retreated into the helicopter and was taking off high into the air.

Zelda and Lucas had been preparing an attack when they had seen Marth and Pikachu fail. Thus, a combination of fire and ice hit the fleeing heli's tail setting it ablaze and spinning out of control.

While not in the fray lying on the grass, Marth's head swam in not just colors, but thoughts too. Pain. The raveness talked about. Well, he was in a lot of it now. ' Feel my PAIN. You will finally know my pain after all these years!' She had said. He thought about the less physical aspect of pain. Her brother had produced a knife. Pikachu had attacked him. Pikachu was on his side until its eyes turned pink. That sinking feeling he had gotten when Pikachu had discharged electricity in his arms. He did know this "Pain" she spoke of.

Betrayal.

It was a stab in the back when Gra had done it. The knife had been twisted and salt thrown onto the wound when one of his friends and former ally, King Hardin had done so.

He has had the bitter taste of betrayal in his mouth. But why did this woman whom he had never met known about that? After a few dazed moments, he realized it couldn't have been that she knew about him. She had called him her brother in the dream and in the fight. He must have some aspect of relevance to her sibling. It wasn't going to help him in this state. Marth closed his eyes. Lucario shook him to prevent him from becoming a trophy, but the prince was already out cold. He did not become a trophy. Lucario wondered how come.

Pikachu was shaking. The fear that it had just felt was like nothing it had ever felt in its whole life. When the feeling melted away, fear had now turned to shame. It had been so caught up in the moment, rationality had fled making the yellow Pokemon had attacked an ally. It was an ally who had saved its life more than once. He had helped it to survive so it would not die in a place like this. Pikachu looked around at the racetrack that had focused out minutes ago.

Sheik, Lucas and Lucario were shooting at a flaming helicopter that futilely launched fruit at them from its solitary place high in the bleachers. Marth was not there helping. Pikachu must have incapacitated him with a harsh uncontrolled electric attack. Pikachu swallowed. It had to zero in on the task at hand.

That helicopter needed to be disposed of. As if she had read its mind, Peach pulled up to the Pokemon in her newly acquired racecar. She let Pikachu inside and the two set off to the crowd. " Are you alright?" Peach asked the Pokemon who inhabited her shoulder as she drove.

Pikachu nodded. She drove toward Sheik and Lucas. They made room for her to skid out and join them in fighting the helicopter. Peach didn't stop though; she put the pedal to the metal. The racecar flew up the metal bleachers. She had a different plan to stop this virtually indestructible thing. Pikachu's paws gripped Peach's shoulder as the car began to violently rock with each bleacher it surmounted. They clenched even harder when the still-functioning turrets fired at the car head on. The window cracked making Pikachu very uncomfortable. That was only putting it at a tenth of what Pikachu was feeling. Its heart was hammering in its ears.

They were on a head on course with the helicopter. A tiny knight was taking on a dragon. When Pikachu thought Peach was planning to kill them both, Peach took Pikachu in her arms and barreled out just in time for the car to crash straight into the window.

Pikachu only heard the metal crunch of the car when it hit the window and the shattering of glass. Peach got up and brushed herself off. Pikachu squirmed loose. Peach looked down at it and told it to use an electric attack on the car, then yelling to Lucas and Sheik to let loose a fire attack. The two figured out what she was trying to get at. Peach and Pikachu ran away from the crashed racecar which had already begun to leak gas onto the front of the helicopter. Though the fire had already started on its own, a combined attack from the Hylian Princess, Lucas and Pikachu made a loud explosion.

The helicopter was obliterated. They expected to find a badly injured raveness, but were denied the satisfaction.

An untouched door did appear. It was a pale shade of yellow. Disappointed the raven woman escaped, the smashers went to go get the prince and the blue jackal Pokemon. Marth had groggily got off the ground with Lucario's support. He smiled a gentle, but strained smile to his team congratulating them on their success. He attempted to say something, but trailed off in a string of painful coughs.

Lucario sensed Marth's aura as a more faded light red color as opposed to the rich red color as the others, probably as a result of the life being sucked out of him. His companion obviously needed to rest, but there was no room for rest beyond that yellow door.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

Please like read and totally review.

I would like to thank the people who the time to review! I appreciate it!

I'm a writer imagining up stories like no one's business, but I can only type up seven words a minute. My word choice is just fine, helps convey the action across the lines and come up with this little rhyme. I'm expressing my feelings dealing with writing which usually has a lot of fighting of the good against the bad in which the evil have better weapons but the benevolent win just to upset them. I'd like to thank all of you who read my author's notes, before you read this story aloud, clear your throat.

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When Peach got up with Pikachu, she and the yellow mouse had spotted the prince's belongings and had turned back before going through the yellow door to pack them up in courtesy. Pikachu had been sort of staring off into space for the length she was doing so.

Peach tapped Pikachu when she was done.

"Let's go." She smiled brightly. Pikachu signaled for her to wait a moment. It had spotted Falchion locked in the dirt.

Already beyond the door, Lucario handed Marth something. "I believe this belongs to you, Prince Marth." Lucario used his free hand to gently place the crown in the ruler's grasp.

"Thank you." The recipient rasped. The prince could hardly breathe. He must have broken something. Every breath he took was a strong gust of wind threatening to blow over the cracked branches which were known as his ribs. Marth coughed again. His fingers wrapped around his crown.

The sky was dark even though the sun was out just minutes ago. The ball of heat was replaced by angrier threatening black clouds. The four smashers present were trudging through a militarized city of some sort. At least, that was the conclusion Lucario was able to draw from the surroundings. Lucas and Sheik trailed quietly behind them. Lucas looked over his shoulder every so often. The shy psychic was checking for Peach and Pikachu. Where could they have gone?

The prince, Hylian princess, psychic and jackal moved on a paved road in silence that seemed to fit the mood. They walked in what could vaguely pass as an alley beside a rusted chain link barbed wire fence on the right and back to back gray brick building to the left. Lucario sensed no other aura other than the four of them. The Mushroom Princess and Pikachu weren't back yet.

Sheik had her eyes fixed on the spaces between the links. Her eyes between gray brick and more barbed wire and chain link fence. It looked like sceneryception. The four reached a corner; turning right then the pattern repeated only they turned left.

The silence was broken by a crack of lighting in the distance and it proceeded to rain. Sheik feared they would end up in the subway while meandering through the street, the group turned into a longer stretch than the last. The rain was only starting and it wasn't picking up making her let go of a breath bated. The fact didn't quite make her sigh in relief because in no time she was drenched again. She had no idea where they were headed, but it didn't quite seem like a circle because of the slight variations in the scenery.

Some of the fences were more rusted than others and some buildings were taller and had pink growths on them. Was that some sort of ivy? Were the buildings rusting? Moss? The growths began to get bigger with every street until they were identified as hollow pink crystals jutting out from the sides of the buildings at random directions, connecting the gray buildings at some points. The dark clouds made them only shimmer. The crystals brought back some bad memories, but she dismissed them and walked beside Lucas.

There was a gate in front of them larger than anything they had ever seen as soon as Sheik turned her head front. Lucario sensed a presence, but it seemed like it was malign. This red was in the shape of a human, but it lacked humanity to it. It was like part of it wasn't all human but it wasn't the same as the raveness that seemed for sure.

The aura got stronger as the four of them neared a gate. Or rather, a taller larger gold chain-link fence with an obnoxiously lock on it. Lucario leaned Marth against a building and began to summon a large ball of aura at the lock. Sheik gathered up a giant fireball and Lucas prepared one too. They fired at the lock but it did not break. They tried the same attack with Lucas sending off an ice attack instead of fire, but it did not work.

Maybe they could pick the lock, but there was nothing to complete the task it with. Marth's sword could have been sufficient, but it was absent at the moment.

Sheik commanded that everyone try again and they repeated the process numerous times.

Marth hadn't been in this much physical pain since the last war. He wanted to help his friends in their plight and put his hand to left to draw out the divine sword he had gained from that war. But, realization hit him like a train. He had lost it beyond that yellow door. In his pained state, he had failed to remember that. He continued to watch his friend's efforts.

Lucario suddenly told his company to stop. That aura he had sensed earlier was so close. They must have made enough noise to attract the possibly benevolent aura. Lucario told them there was an aura nearby. Lucario retrieved Marth and gripped the chain-link fence bending forward into the fence to get a better sense. Marth looked in between the links. No one was there.

Sheik and Lucas gripped the links. They anxiously looked around for someone to help them as well. Marth began to cough again, violently retching toward the ground into his gloved hands. He cracked open an eye while doing so and noticed something peculiar. It was a tortoise. While coughing with one hand on his mouth, he pointed down to the tortoise with the other.

The tortoise had a key in its mouth and stretched its wrinkly neck through the gold chain link. Grabbing everyone's attention, the tortoise dropped the green key on the ground at Marth's feet. Sheik bent down to pick it up. The tortoise snapped at her hand as soon as she tried to pick it up. Sheik jumped back and readied her needles at the tortoise, holding them in between her fingers as if they were claws.

The tortoise eyed her suspiciously and began to talk in a low tone. "You are not in league with the black bird are you?"

The question shocked the Hylian princess since she hadn't anticipated the turtle to speak, much less ask a question like that. She answered anyway. "N-no we are not."

The turtle slowly nodded with some sort of approval and said in the same stern tone, "Follow me."

For a tortoise, the animal was quite fast and walked with the speed of a human. Sheik did not want to be left alone in the rain, but hesitated in trying for the key again. When she was sure the tortoise wasn't looking, she picked it up and jumped up to unlock the grand gate. The turtle was nearly out of sight before the smashers began after it. Sheik and Lucas proceeded in front with the prince and jackal in the back.

While following the tortoise through more curved roads, the place was revealed as more city-like than prison-like with the appearance of shops and houses. The chain-link fences between the buildings and hollow pink crystals still existed connecting the structures.

The group caught up to the turtle when it stopped in an alley in front of a door with a lantern hanging next to it. The weary sailors had been led out of the storm with the help of the lighthouse.

The moment the smashers entered the house, it was an old man who had closed the door instead of the tortoise. His voice seemed louder now that the pitter patters of rain from outside were quieted but it was the same stern voice.

The place where the old man lived was a humble place. There was a slim bathroom door in the hall to the left as soon as they walked in, and there was a table directly in the middle of the wide room. Behind that table was a countertop, cabinets and a fridge. To the left of the table, was a bedroom with two beds and a closet.

Sheik wondered why there were two beds if only one person lived here. She also took note of the two chairs around the table. The old man led Lucario and Marth to the bedroom and told the jackal to lay his friend in the bed for now. Lucario did so, while the old man gestured him aside. Lucario watched in horror as the old man did not turn into a turtle again, but his aura morphing into the same as the raven woman. Had they just waltzed into a trap? Lucario wanted to move, but he was frozen when a white wing sprouted out of the old man's back and a dove beak opened.

Marth had been only able to vague shapes and dull colors for a long time shifting about. Sound was so far away. There was so much blinding white light which seemed even brighter in the silence.

It did not last though, there was a shape forming over him. It was an old man maybe in his eighties, with a worn face that definitely spoke his age. Long white hair hung down like vines blocking the forest of wrinkles. He was dressed in clothing resembling one of the peasants the prince had seen whilst visiting his subjects…

The gangly old man backed away when the blue haired man on the bed sat up. The prince sat up feeling his own strength gripping the crown he hadn't really been able to hold that tightly for the span of time.

"Don't strain yourself." The old man said next to him. "Your injuries are too bad to mend in such a short period of time. This is only a temporary fix."

"Thank you." Marth replied. The old man glanced cheekily back at Lucario who looked embarrassed. Blue waves had come from the old man to the prince instead of the other way around. The pokemon's look already spoke apologies, so the old man disappeared into the kitchen without saying anything.

Sheik and Lucas had taken seats at the table wondering what had happened in that bedroom and were ecstatic to see their friend emerge from the bedroom on his feet again.

The old man skipped into the room behind Sheik then proceeded to take a seat on the countertop behind the table. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It is good to know there are still people left in this world I can trust."

"But," Sheik said slowly, "We are not of this world."

"I am aware, since all of you are dressed so strangely." The old man said with a smile finally breaking the stern façade. "There are others like you."

"What do you mean?" Lucas inquired upon hearing.

"Strange creatures with flowers growing out of their heads, a red suit of armor, a plant dragon of some sort and a creature with an iron mask. The only normal ones were a short man in a space suit, a boy much like you," The old man said pointing to Lucas, " And the one who looked as if he had some control over that plant dragon."

There were excited murmurs of the other smashers -Olimar, Samus, Ness and Meta Knight- flowed around.

The old man wasn't finished though, "I watched from a distance because there was a child with wings with them. I wasn't sure if he was with the raven."

"None of them are. The raven dragged us here and has caused us enough trouble since." Sheik said.

Thus, the old man continued,

"You see, this world was teeming with life seventy years ago. Our kingdom had co-existed with the monsters and native folk for the most part. That was before the surrounding monsters became more and more hostile. Towns were made barren and people kept in fear. The survivors needed to come up with a way to overcome the threat and turned to their king. Our king was an inexperienced man and did not do well under pressure. The poor man turned to one of the oldest men of his father's old council.

"The councilman was a power-hungry man who had manipulated the previous king. He came up with the idea to fight fire with fire as a solution to the pressured king. The scientists were instructed to create life from the monstrosities. It worked and the number of creatures declined.

"The cheers of the people slowly went to the king's head though, and the evil councilman ensured that. The puppeteer had the king further demonstrate his councilman's authority by using the creations to subjugate the nearby tribes we once co-existed with bringing many bloody wars. It did not matter as long as there was money and prosperity flowing into his kingdom.

"During this time, the lust of both the king and that councilman intertwined and His Majesty called for larger and more impressive beasts against the peaceful neighboring kingdoms on a conquest nothing short of world domination. No one else noticed their leader's growing greed, for they were all drunk on the affluence that suddenly came in after such a dark period.

"The king knew challenging the largest kingdom would be the longest and bloodiest war yet, and thus needed the perfect monster. There was only one problem with the monsters he had the scientists make in the past: they died quickly being born from the flesh of dead beasts. So, he turned to the lives the wealth had not reached with was the slums. He paid his ransom's worth to a man and a woman for their daughter to make her that perfect weapon. The girl's brother objected though, and volunteered to take the girls place for her to be spared.

"The king's soldiers took her too, but did not keep their promise. Both of them were put through hours of long tests and waking modifications only meant for those who could not feel. The girl's progress grew rapidly but so did the hate in her heart. She gained great and terrible powers of manipulation from the body to the mind. Her brother going through the same transformations sought to console her in such a hard time and tried to convince her he understood her pain, their king would never let them suffer so much and that it would get better.

Marth's expression hardened throughout the story. The dream was beginning to resurface in chunks, but choose not to say anything as all the parts were coming together.

"Sadly, that promise could not be kept and it would not get better no matter how many times the brother repeated those words. She did not seem to notice and cheered up much to the pleasure of her brother. The final most painful modification was done on both sister and brother. Her brother was unprepared for the fact it was a farce hiding her deep hate. Since the day of the modification- where a giant wing was inserted onto her body- she felt she had been betrayed by both her brother and the king."

"She had until the day of the war to express her true feelings. Roars rose from our kingdom as she lay the entire other realm bare with the years of torture she had endured just for this day.

"She killed an entire army in just a week. It wasn't just her though; she used powerful manipulation forced upon her in the labs to manipulate the weaker monsters down the microscopic creatures of the sea. As she became powerful off the energy she stole from her victims, she could even manipulate dreams because she stole close to thousands and it still wasn't enough to satisfy her thirst for revenge. One girl destroyed a kingdom entire. She turned on her king's royal army as soon as she was brought back.

"Before long, the people were terrorized by monsters once again. This time it was from the inside of their walls in the name of revenge for the raven girl's suffering. They were the monster though, their greed that had destroyed a world entire. The carnage went on until there were no other people left to terrorize. Her brother tried to stop her as an apology for letting her down. She thwarted him. She became so powerful she could claw the dimensions. Her brother did not know what to do. He was the only one left and coming for him. He fled after that because he is a coward, he is-"

"You." Marth said, recognizing the old man in all fullness. The pain had blurred his mind, but throughout the old man's tale he realized the truth. "You are her brother, aren't you?"

The old man blanched. "I am." He said nothing else because he wasn't sure what else to say.

"She gave me the memory of your attempt on her life." The prince said. "She also called me well… you."

"I apologize; I did not introduce myself yet." The old man smiled bitterly. "My name is Rarim which means 'strong' in the ancient tongues. I couldn't stop her. I wasn't strong at all. It is hard to think she would mistake your aura for someone as weak as I."

His expression brightened as he began on a different note. "I wish to use the strength I was named for to help you escape from the world I failed to save. There is but one way, but it will be difficult."

Only the sound of the rain could be heard for a short while.

"Well, I do ask of one thing before going into that," Rarim said. "I ask that you do not kill Reneria, but please bring her to me. I want to apologize for letting her down."

The group exchanged solemn looks. Marth spoke. "We would do so. After all, you did help us."

Rarim smiled with gratitude. "All this heavy talk has got me worn. Let's take a break, shall we? Who wants some tea?"

As Rarim got up, he whispered to Marth. "Be careful, boy. My sister can manipulate anything in this world. It is a miracle she hasn't killed you yet it means she must have some use for you. Do not listen to anything tells you."

Marth thought about it while he was handed a cup of tea.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

pl34se r34d 4nd r3v13w!

I would like to thank the people who the time to review! I appreciate it!

I watched the two episodes Fire Emblem OAV. I feel like it's not supposed to be funny in some parts, but every time I watch it I just crack myself up. Examples are when the gut in the beginning says "Anri" in a long drawn out way, Cain says "Left Flank" in a very drawn out and overly intense way or when Gordin speaks at all. (Gordin's voice is pretty crazy)

The guy who voices Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion is also the same guy (Spike Spencer) who voices Marth in said OAV and now my ears are forcing me to hear the similarities.

* * *

A different cup of tea was being served to another group at the same time. Peach had held her umbrella over seven cups of tea to shield them from the rain. The other smashers had exchanged stories of their tribulations with Peach and Pikachu, with the exception of Pit who had been doing reconnaissance from the sky.

The yellow mouse stayed far from the conversation and sat next to Falchion which had been propped against the gray brick. The Pokemon was staring off into space until the girl from outer space took a seat next to it.

Samus had become bored of the conversation and went to comfort her partner through Subspace. She had never really got to talk with Pikachu since the end of their trial with Tabuu and found it was a bit odd the only time she could talk to the yellow Pokemon was in a time like this.

"Listen," said the bounty hunter. The mouse's ears perked up, but it kept staring into the adjacent chain-link fence. "None of us want to die here."

Pikachu's ears drooped slightly.

"I've known you long enough to know you are a trustworthy partner because during that time, you always had my back." Samus said. "You have to accept what you've done and move forward."

Pikachu's ears dropped to the side of it head again. In the persistent rain, it was becoming impossible to differentiate the mouse's tears and the weather. _What do I do now?_

Not directly answering Pikachu's question, Samus put her hand on the yellow mouse's head. "We all have to be brave and hope for the best now."

Those words hung in the air for a while. The rain quieted down to a drizzle until most sounds were drown out and only the beating of angel's wings could be heard from above.

Pit's specifically, when he landed in between the buildings in front of the smashers. With the exception of Pikachu and Samus, the others gathered around for the much anticipated news.

Though not directly around Pit, Samus listened to what the Overworld resident was saying.

The angel had scanned the streets from the air for Peach and Pikachu's companions, but they were nowhere to be seen.

He _had _spotted a gold gate which was open, a lead to where Marth's company had gone. But, as he was going to investigate, a blinding searchlight caught him from behind. Pit had shielded his eyes with his left hand and his other went to his bow should something attack. The assault never came.

Pit was forced to land anyway, blinking away taunting blind spots created from that artificial sun. He still rubbed his eyes at the moment he was explaining the situation.

Peach, Olimar, Ness, Red and Meta Knight exchanged grim expressions.

A searchlight meant someone knew they were in this city, and they were all too aware of who this "someone" was.

The group needed to stay out of that searchlight if they could help it. Samus picked up Falchion in her right hand and scooped up the depressed Pikachu in the other.

Lagging behind the rest of the group, she headed off toward the gate per Pit's direction.

This city was like a maze. The buildings and fences were repeating themselves. They should have taken to the air, but the searchlight was a threat. Its light monitored the darkness below with the diligence of a prison warden looking for escapees. Every time the searchlight got close to them, they all fled to the sanctity of the wall.

The drizzle was beginning to pick up again, which made the smashers more cautious to not make any noise in the new puddles being made. Thunder boomed followed by lightning.

Pit was at the front and signaled everyone right. They shuffled along through the gold gate.

Samus noted the buildings were beginning to look more like an actual city. But, where was everyone?

The bounty hunter was having a mounting feeling in her gut. Pikachu could also feel the change in the air. It was like an unknown spiritual pressure was bearing down. It made its fur bristle, this anticipation.

The others felt it too, and then heard a noise confirming their fear. The loud honk of what could be an eighteen-wheeler was barreling down the narrow road.

None of them dared to confirm if it really was an eighteen wheeler, but scrambled up the side of the building with various means. They choose the fire over the frying pan and were flashed brightly in the eyes with the searchlight Pit was talking about. Luckily, they had the time to cover their eyes thanks to Pit's experience. The angel was leading the way and called at the others to keep moving forward, but the surroundings had the effects of a flash bang. The searchlight blinded them and the horn blared from below.

Luckily, the searchlight merely glazed over them, then went away, fading them into the darkness of the overcast again. The horn stopped abruptly. The others moved on again while Samus decidedly stayed behind.

Samus readied her arm gun while Pikachu moved to her other side. She was going to shoot that light before it really spotted them. But as soon as the light turned its head, it was like it had disappeared. Samus couldn't get a very good shot. She lowered her gun.

Maybe destroying it wouldn't be the best decision. If she didn't destroy it, it would spot them. Now as a result, she and Pikachu were falling behind.

Their allies became shadows in front of them in the time they had just wasted. Pikachu looked around from Samus's right shoulder as the bounty hunter hurried onward. Pink crystals connected the buildings which Samus crossed. The crystals crumbled below where the honking finally stopped. The yellow pokémon saw not all the crystals were not all presently connecting the buildings. The ones ahead must've made the same discovery Samus just had.

Just then, Samus picked up in speed. Pikachu gripped her armor while she bounded over a gap in the buildings, the bounty hunter barely sticking her footing on the slippery roof. Pikachu had only the time to catch its breath when the hunter made another speeding amazing leap straight onto a waiting ladder. She made a rocky landing with both Falchion and a rung in her right hand and her gun chunkily wrapped around the rung above her.

Instead of continuing onward, Samus hung there paralyzed for a moment at the thoughtless move she had just made. The clang of Falchion and her armor echoed for a millennium making the searchlight beam straight at her and illuminate the rest of her posses who were right in front of her.

She was about to continue when she looked up to see that vines had wrapped around her wrists and pulled her up onto higher ground. The light did not bother her as much as the others because of her suit. On the contrary, it seared Ivysaur's eyes and its vines swung wildly to get to its pupils. In the process, Falchion was batted out of Samus's hand down to the depths below.

Pikachu peered over the edge shortly after that happened. The searchlight revealed the eighteen wheeler was gone and Falchion was on the cold wet asphalt.

In the bright light none of them could advance, but just because the loud eighteen wheeler was still there, it meant they couldn't take to the ground to escape. Pikachu volunteered to test the waters. It needed to be alone. It needed time to mull over Samus's words. Pikachu set off over the edge.

Samus craned her neck over the side to see it. It was a long way down, but Samus couldn't worry now. The others were preparing to finally take out that searchlight.

Pikachu jumped from the top and hopped onto the chain-links, taking hold of the metal. It climbed down cautiously, for the streets were still illuminated by the light above. It wasn't as harsh as the view on top, but it still created a dawn-like brightness.

Pikachu picked up Falchion in its paws. It was cold as death which made the mouse shiver. The Pokemon turned left around a building. The gate was just ahead, but the feeling in the air added a level of uncertainty to Pikachu's travels. The Pokemon proceeded with caution.

A red toy car appeared from out of nowhere. Pikachu heard it and spun around, but it was nowhere to be seen, so it kept walking. Falchion scraped across the concrete.

That sound was similar to Samus's armor screeching against the brick of the concrete bulding while she skid face first against the roof. She ducked as soon as she rose. Green acid landed behind her ate through the roof. She stayed down just a bit longer as Ness's PK Thunder flew over her head and shocked one. Samus scrambled up to her feet and jumped over a bunch of holes. She met the eyes of the monsters chasing them. These beasts were half pterodactyl half moth with broad compound eyes, brown hairy antennae and chests but the rest was untouched yellow pterodactyl. They spat acid for an added bonus.

Samus's arm gun blasted the dazed creature in the face and it fell to the depths below. There was no use celebrating for that because there were hundreds of the moth reptilians flying overhead in a swarm. They were defending the spotlight which was tauntingly only one building away. This was evidence they were indeed the Raveness's servants and were going to create a distraction until the monster saw the spotlight and came for them.

Charizard cleared the clump in front of her with a powerful breath of fire.

"Samus!" The angel called to the bounty hunter. Samus took hold of Pit's outstretched hand and was flown through the opening onto the coveted building. However, when she aimed her gun at the light, it vanished. The pterodactyl moths followed it and the brawlers were able to take out some of them in their retreat to their light source, but they still far outnumbered the smashers. Samus was forced to cross breaking crystals and newly made holes just to get back to where she had begun. The pterodactyl beasts were proliferating from within the light into a never ending wave.

The change of the light source from above unsettled the one doing ground recon. Pikachu crossed into the golden gate when it heard the roar of that dreaded eighteen-wheeler behind it. The Pokemon spun around and prepared for the worst, but there was only a red toy car behind it. Pikachu was not sure whether to be relieved or frightened that such a small toy car was making that loud noise.

Yellow pterodactyls swooped down from the sky. Pikachu used its tail to bat the toy car at one of ten pterodactyls, breaking the car and getting the fiend in the throat. The thing in turn spat acid at the mouse. Pikachu hadn't the time to process the action and braced for it. The acid hit Falchion, but the acid merely slid to the ground off of the divine blade to the ground searing a hole into the earth. Pikachu's friends had protected it all this time. Marth had used this blade to protect his friends.

_There is no need to falter! _Pikachu jumped high and let loose a thunderbolt on the pterodactyls stunning them. Pikachu saw more coming at it and backed away at the holes being made in the ground. Pikachu sent Thunder down on the new horde.

Pikachu was forced back in dodging more acid. The things swooped downward; Pikachu used Falchion to block imminent acid attacks. Pikachu clawed up a fence and discharged hundreds of volts from its body. The half-moth things fell into acid eaten graves made by themselves. _I've beaten every enemy only to save myself! _

Pikachu's jumped backward to avoid acid which ate through the fence. The mouse turned its head down the road. Dead End.

That did not deter Pikachu for it decided to hold its ground. _This is a fact: I must accept what I have done and move forward._

_I must not run away._ Pikachu vowed. _Being scared has cost me a valuable friend. _The pterodactyls closed in, but there was new resolve in the mouse Pokemon. _I will not be scared again. I promise this to you, Prince Marth. _Thunder boomed and punctuated the promise_. _The mouse made light that rained down from the sky.

From far away, Marth saw bright yellow electricity light up the sky.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

Read and Revizzle please!

I would like to thank the people who the time to review! I appreciate it!

This chapter was kinda short since I'm going to put a lot of work into the next one. I feel like I listen to too much rap music sometimes.

* * *

Samus had seen the massive Thunder hit the searchlight spot on. It fulminated with sparks and flames which the rain quickly put out. The pterodactyls fled too, seeing their light source fall. Samus and the others climbed down the building and congratulated their mouse friend.

Pikachu triumphantly joined them having overcome its fear. The clouds parted above revealing a golden sunset. Pikachu sensed a presence from the left. The building that had been trapping it in had disappeared like there had been nothing there in the first place. A long straight path had opened up in its stead revealing a door with a lantern.

Pikachu drew toward the presence until it realized who it was. Pikachu trekked faster until it came upon the prince. Pikachu lit up. A weight had been lifted off it knowing the man was not dead.

Pikachu handed back Falchion to its rightful owner with an apologetic, "Pi Pika."

Marth knelt down and ruffled Pikachu's fur with his gloved hand. "It is okay, Pikachu."

By then, the others had caught up. Greetings were exchanged now that the rest of Marth's company had come out of hiding from the house. Marth went to the front of the group once that was done. Peach handed the prince back his belongings. He put on the stern leader's façade again. "I have been given the information we need to return to our homes." With Rarim at the doorstep, Marth led them inside.

Marth went to the head of the table. The others gathered around intent on hearing how to get home.

The blue-haired prince began his speech. Rarim closed the door as soon as he began.

"The Raveness has enough power to rip open dimensions." Marth said.

"The raveness ripped a dimensional wound to bring us to this place, as her brother," Marth said, gesturing to Rarim, "has informed us." All eyes turned to the old man. Confusion circulated through the room among those who did not know Rarim. The ones accompanying Marth spread word of the situation.

The prince waited until they stopped to continue. "The wound is north of here on the steepest mountain in the land. The way there is dangerous and we also haven't located several of our allies."

"There is still a chance we will run into _her_ again, but she does have a weakness." Marth said. The others leaned in.

"She will run out of energy tomorrow, which is the reason we were brought here. We must find our friends and ensure she does not gain any more power, then bring the Raveness back here when her power is gone." Marth finished.

"We're going to bring her back here?" Red asked.

"It is her brother's wish." Marth said. Rarim set food on the table he had gotten during Marth's explanation.

The smashers had been running on pure adrenaline for the last few days and had almost forgotten the concept of eating. After that, the smashers thanked Rarim and set off with no time to waste.

At the outer limits of the city there was a desert. The sky was dark.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

Read and Review… please.

I would like to thank the people who the time to review! I appreciate it!

I'm watching this show called Black Jack, which is about this guy and he's the best surgeon ever. It's really intense and but it mostly ends happily. (I'm aware the manga doesn't always end so well, but I'm a total sucker for the stories where everything works out)

* * *

The prince traversed the dark desert with his company. They kept their eyes peeled for any other smashers that were scattered about.

However, after a couple of miles of sand, cactuses, rocks, rinse and repeat, Marth could tell his comrades were wearing down and set up camp next to some of the larger rocks. A fire was started with gathered sticks and stones to endure the desert night cold. Even though everyone drifted peacefully into sleep, Marth couldn't help letting his mind race.

_What if the dimensional wound closes and we're stuck here? _

That thought crossed his mind while explaining everything to the brawlers.

_What if we don't find everyone? Did Caeda think him dead? How long had he been here?_

Marth painfully shut his eyes and draped his abused cape over himself. He was really surprised when he settled into the comforting dark of sleep. Well, after all, the adrenaline had worn out and the recoil stunned his whole body. That was probably the same case with the rest of his friends.

He hoped the rest of the night could just be spent embraced in the dark until the red morning sun would wake him. It would not be so.

_A silver gleam Marth recognized came into view. It was the tip of a sword. As the scene became brighter, Marth was staring into his father's face, the sword's tip was just below his father's chin._

_Fresh red fell to the floor. King Cornelius choked. "You, t-traitors!" _

_The king fell to the floor when the soldier behind him withdrew his blade. Marth wanted to take a step back, but a force held him in place. He wanted to close his eyes, but they too were uncontrollably immobile._

_All of a sudden, dirt flew up. The galloping of horses surrounded him. They raced past him leaving him to the aftermath of Gra's work. His father's knights had been killed before the king. Marth could tell. He wanted to do something now, but he was painfully reminded of his paralysis. _

_The horsemen racing past him seemed like they would never end. Marth had some control of his eyes and directed them toward the sky. It was red. Smoke hung in the sky blocking the sun from the sight of Gra's treachery. _

_The horsemen racing past drew their weapons ready to take on the next Altean soldiers. Marth heard the steel of lances and blades being drawn and half expected to be mowed down right then. Marth's eyes shifted forward to see the steel which would grip him in death's embrace, but the herd was now a handful of stragglers. They were faceless knights who morphed into some his father's knights, Abel, Cain, Draug, Frey, Gordin and Jagen._

_ The blue haired man became a blue haired child again. Cain told him the news he had already witnessed. The man's voice was waning as the scene played out quickly into the sequence of events leading up to him escaping the castle. Cain's voice had vanished, but Marth would've not been able to notice anyway. _

_What he had seen was enough to make him want to vomit. The fire, the panic, the dead, the news of his sister was staying behind. _

_The horror film slowed to make Marth witness Frey sacrificing himself, dressed in Marth's garb while he was rushed along. The prince almost had to be dragged onto the ship in his protests. His caretaker, Malledus was chiding the boy to honor his brave knight's sacrifice. He looked across the ocean, a hollow feeling welling up in him._

_His homeland was shrinking on the horizon. He was powerless to save it. _

_Inside his mind, _his _voice said to him, "You've been betrayed." The ship came to a halt._

_As soon as he crossed onto land, he was back in Altea and became sixteen. The floor beneath him was now the throne room. A dead dragon lay quietly next to him. He was alone in front of that oversized seat._

I fought so hard. _Marth thought. _Why was there nothing left for me?

_The prince longed for something of his old life to be here. He wanted to be able to run to his sister, but she was not there. He wanted his mother, but her body lay next to the dragon. She had been slain by who he had killed. He even wanted his father, but the king was long gone._

_Marth was too tired to object the change of scenery. His voice told him, "You are all alone."_

_Marth's stiff hands moved into a sword position, both hands were in front of him wrapped around a rapier._

_King Hardin's blood dripped off the tip. Even though Marth was nineteen currently, he could have been older than Jagen. His former ally fell to the ground._

_Marth stepped back. Hardin's armor made an echoing "clang". _

_His voice told him, "You will not save anyone."_

_That phrase echoed with the clang. A raven flew above, but Marth did not make much of it. He was still in a state of shock. The echo enveloped his being. _

It's all a dream! _The prince finally remembered. Marth struggled to wake up._

He woke up to the fifth "Anyone." He peered up at Pikachu. His fidgeting had woken it up.

"I apologize for waking you." said the prince as he got up from the sand. "I'm going for a walk. I'll return soon. I just need to clear my head…"

Pikachu thought it was a trick of the light, but there was a pink flash in Marth's eyes. The yellow mouse padded in the sand behind the prince. It surprised Marth, but he smiled.

The blue haired man had become attached to the Pokemon just as Samus had when she shared her Subspace adventure with the others. So, the pair walked out from behind the rocks and looked up into the sky.

Though they were away from the warmth of the fire, the cold didn't bother Marth or Pikachu. Marth draped his cape over his shoulder and over Pikachu who now inhabited his arms and yawned loudly. The stars twinkled fully in the frigid temperature.

It was beautiful. Math would have to describe it to Caeda when he returned.

His thoughts were interrupted by Pikachu who pointed out a particularly bright golden twinkle. Almost like that of a-. Marth understood what the Pokemon was trying to say and followed the light of another smasher.

Pikachu hopped out of Marth's arms and onto the sand. The tropthy's twinkle led the prince and mouse to more desert, but this patch was a darker sand and was devoid of any feature but sand and a plateau on the far side.

On the plateau, was what they were searching for. It was hard to identify who it was, but a trophy twinkle was on the other side of the plain of sand.

Marth knew the setup looked too easy to be true and Pikachu's instincts told it that too. The pair proceeded a quarter of the way when Marth's hunch was proven right.

Sand began to crumble underneath then sink him downwards. Pikachu's paws began sinking in the sand which made the pokemon scamper forward to avoid it.

However, Marth saw this was no ordinary sand, even for quicksand. Pikachu sank faster the quicker it ran ahead, springing Marth into dragging the Pokemon out, while sacrificing his shin height in a mad dash to rescue the mouse.

They needed to go slowly to save Ike and themselves. Unfortunately, the sand was sinking into that of some sort of central point Marth realized. He had no idea what that meant, but I couldn't be good. He focused on getting to Ike and staying above the sand with Pikachu who now took its time in front of him.

Almost halfway through, strong winds began blowing in Marth's and his yellow friend's faces. The young man coughed and so did his companion from the sand that came with those winds. The prince tore off parts of his ragged cape and tied them around his nose and mouth and that of Pikachu to prevent grains from further entering his or his companion's orifices.

However, it only provided temporary respite, for the wind picked up not only threatening to blow more sand into the prince's eyes but with enough wrath to blow him away.

_I have survived betrayal. I can save him with my own power. _Marth thought.

The quicksand loosened its hold on him when he had decided to walk again so it only possessed the soles of his boots, and even had allowed him to remove his whole foot opposed to the previous trudging Marth endured.

To anchor himself, Marth ran as fast as he could, each step becoming heavier as he sand to this thights in the sand and waded through grainy wet cement. With the wind whipping at Pikachu from every direction, the prince grabbed hold of the Pokemon and hugged it close to his chest. He squinted the sand away.

They were three fourths of the way there. With what began to feel like pounds of sand pelting his back and half of it getting into his eyes, Marth put one elbow in front of his eyes and saw the slope through a tiny window created by his joint.

He suddenly began to hack violently, but the prince carried on Pikachu felt from its spot. It wasn't just from the sand. Marth hadn't heeded Rarim's warning.

Marth heard nothing but the high whistling from the wind. Rooting himself in the ground had been a bad decision. Sand blew at his back which felt like punches, knocking the already scarce wind out of him. The blue haired man still trudged on even though the loads of grain were burying him and his companion alive.

_I will save him_. Was the thought driving Marth.

At least Pikachu was shielded from Marth's predicament by the prince's body. Pikachu removed one of its paws from its black eye to look up at Marth which made the Pokemon cast a distressed look at his friend's peril. Pikachu also saw the determination in its friend's expression.

The prince cast a reassuring smile down at Pikachu when he felt its gaze upon him. Marth looked through the tiny space of his elbow again.

The prince looked so exhausted. So, when his grip loosened on the Pokemon, Pikachu knew Marth had reached his limit.

The Pokemon hadn't expected the gloved hand to tighten around its tail. Pikachu couldn't comprehend it until it was hurled forward with the last of Marth's strength.

Marth looked up at the sky again through the sand clouds around him.

_It's beautiful_. Marth thought. _I'll describe it to Caeda if I return._

Land was so close Pikachu could taste it. It covered enough air to make it to the plateau and turn around just in time to see a sandstorm swallow Marth. There were cerulean specks visible in the clouds.

Pikachu hadn't even the time to react to the devastation that had taken place as the storm was rapidly approaching.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

Read please and also review!

I would like to thank the people who the time to review! I appreciate it!

I updated my profile so all of you can learn more about me!

I feel like the scariest nightmare (which was also a dream within a dream within a dream in which I woke up three times in a row before I snapped back to reality) should be right here.

Pikachu stood over a tiny mound with an arm poking out like the flag of a sand castle. It hadn't been too late since Pikachu got across the desert and rescued both Mario and Ike.

Ike set aside Ragnell and pulled at the arm until it brought the rest of a lifeless sand covered man with it. Ike gave him a few hard pats on the back making the man expel sand from his nose and mouth. The bandana had blown away a while ago. But other than that reaction, Marth's head lolled back alarming both Pikachu and Ike.

The mercenary shook his Subspace companion violently. Pikachu looked on in horror as Marth did not respond.

"Hey! Marth! Hang in there!" Ike shouted.

_It's cold. Marth thought._

_There was a cerulean light visible as soon as he opened his eyes. The blue surrounded him and stretched on forever. Marth's feet weren't even touching solid ground, but was suspended in air._

_I want to sleep. Marth thought. My eyes are so heavy, I just want to…_

A warm breeze made its way through a hospital where the group had now ended up.

The hospital out in the desert was random, but it was probably a part of the civilization destroyed courtesy of Reneria

Marth was fast asleep in the bed with all the proper medical equipment helping to check his vital signs. Mario had hooked him to the machines since the plumber was also a doctor after all. The older brother was checking vital signs at this moment.

A couple of the monitors belonging to the equipment that was being used were cracked and it took quite a bit of scavenging to find just one sterile needle in this place. This place was a mess.

The seafoam green tile walls were crumbling and the floor was flooded with sand. The sunlight was the only thing keeping the light and it was nearly sunset again.

Pikachu and Lucario were the only ones waiting in the grainy hallway for Dr. Mario's report.

_Ike had stopped shaking the prince upon a small groan form the sandy man. Pikachu was relieved that his friend was alive. Ike and Mario supported their friend back to camp. Pikachu trotted beside them looking up._

Pikachu was beginning to nod off again. They had traveled most of the day and had made good distance. It began to lean against Lucario's leg unintentionally in its tiredness. The aura Pokemon was resting against the scratched tile. He had been awake when Pikachu returned.

_Lucario woke up to their arrival, but kept his eyes closed and pretended it was asleep. The aura wasn't an enemy. It was only Pikachu, Ike and Mario. Where was Marth? Lucario had felt Marth and Pikachu's auras leave before slipping back into slumber. Lucario cracked open one eye briefly. He was there, but his aura wasn't there. Was the prince dead? He couldn't be._

Mario came out with the news to the two anxious Pokemon. "He seems fine apart from a cracked rib or two, but…"

"His aura is gone." Lucario said shakily. "He's near, but it's like he's somewhere else…? It's like there's a wall separating him from this world."

Pikachu heard what Lucario had said, but a different thing was on its mind entirely.

"Where did everyone go?" it asked the jackal.

"They went to look for our friends in this place." Lucario said.

Lucario felt Pikachu lean against his leg and drift off into sleep. The aura Pokemon sat down and let Pikachu rest on its shoulder. The sunset was seen through a hole above in the tiling.

_Marth opened his eyes after what seemed like a long time. The ground under his feet solidified and he found gravity helping him realize it as he fell onto the new floor. He felt dust under him, but when he moved his hand about there was brick. Marth looked up from his position on the ground. He felt like a wrung out rag and hadn't the strength to get up._

_The sky above was a faint twilight in an endless black. In front of him were stairs which had led up from somewhere. It took him a bit to realize this was the top of a building. Something was forming in front of Marth, but the blue haired prince already had an idea of who it was._

_"I know you're not Rarim since looking through your memories." The broken violin voice squeaked. "But, both of you are THE SAME."_

_She knelt down and sized up Marth with her bird eye. "You are not a hero whatever your name was again. You never were. But, you couldn't save a single person you were always trying to be the brave leader and everyone's salvation. . You tried to make up for it by Deep down, you and my brother were both cowards."_

_Reneria turned away and began walking towards the edge of the building they were on but not close to the edge. "Because in the end, the only thing anyone ever cares about is themselves."_

_Marth felt some kind of strength return to him upon hearing that. He wobbled up to his feet, but felt sort of dizzy upon standing. "I understand why you would say that, Reneria."_

_He was going to rebut her statement. "Your brother told me everything that happened between you and your kingdom. I am truly sorry for what perspired in that. _

_"However, Rarim wants to apologize to you and has asked me to take you home for that reason. He cares about you and I'm sure there were those who did care for you before you killed them."_

_"There were no such people!" Reneria hissed as she whipped around._

_"Your mother and father-" Marth began before he was cut off._

_"GAVE ME UP TO THAT FIEND FOR MONEY!" She finished angrily._

_Marth continued ignoring her. "They gave you to the king because they hoped you would live a better life under his care than in the slums." _

_"They didn't even know they were getting payment for their deed. Upon learning what had become of you and Rarim, the two of them tried to get you back from the greedy ruler but were denied. They went as far as to try and sneak into the castle, but were caught and exiled. Rarim did everything he did to prevent you from becoming what you made yourself: a beast which cannot even look beyond her hate."_

_"Wake up. You made yourself alone." Marth finished feeling nauseas afterwards._

_He could see the fury in her expression upon hearing this. She was more livid than ever and began to growl at him like the beast Marth spoke of._

_"You're right though, I couldn't save anyone because I suddenly thought I could save them all myself."Marth shook his head. "I forgot for that one moment that I had friends to help me because I was spurred on by the thoughts in my memories. That's how I ended up here, isn't it?"_

_Marth put his hand to Falchion and warmly remembered his friends in his homeland as well as the brawlers. He drew the sword in front of him ready to take on his foe._

_Reneria was slower than before and Marth was able to trace her movements with his eyes before she got to him. The divine blade pierced the raven's chest just as her claws made their way to Marth's throat. _

_The wound didn't have the desired effect as she walked forward with the struggling prince in her grasp. She held him over the edge of the building. Marth looked down; there was only a white light below. Marth was far from giving up and his boot came up and kicked the raveness forcefully in the face. A loud crack echoed in whatever empty space they were in._

_Maybe the wound he inflicted did have some effect. Reneria coughed up a glob of cerulean blood into the air. The blue separated from the blood and flowed back to Marth and the black aftermath fell into the white below. Marth felt stronger at the blue waves returning to him._

_The raveness contracted in pain coughing up more of the blue blood until Marth felt all his strength and more fill his body while he felt Reneria's grip loosen on his throat. He leaned forward and drove his sword further into his foe until the cross-guard was pressing against her rib cage hoping to end the fight once and for all. _

_He pushed his weight forward until Reneria collapsed onto the brick of the building again and Marth tumbled beside her. Marth got up feeling like a new person, but looked to his side and saw that Reneria had shriveled up and aged like her brother in the aftermath of the prince's action._

_She didn't even move. "Marth sheathed Falchion and sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill your wish, Rarim."_

_It was only seconds of peace though, when something cracked like the chopping of lettuce as soon as he had sheathed his sword. _

_It was Reneria's neck as she looked toward Marth and hissed loudly. There was still fight left in her. She made the brick under them shake violently while talking in that language of monsters. Bricks fell away under Marth until the floor gave way under his weight. He fell into the white light below._

_For the first time since the beginning of his journey Marth felt a gnawing shaking fear while the wind swallowed him. He was falling to an immeasurable depth below and there would be no one to save him now. _

_He wasn't sure why it would help at all, but he maneuvered himself in the air to stand upright while falling. The blue haired teen shut his eyes as tight as he could._

_Marth opened his eyes with a jolt. He wasn't out of this world, but he at least he wasn't dead. He was standing upright and trembling slightly. His surroundings were now the brick building's interior. It was empty and dark except for the light above from which he fell. It illuminated a now identifiable four walled place that was uncomfortably claustrophobic. Screaming was heard faintly from above, first that inhuman violin then the full caw of a raven. _

_Debris fell onto Marth from above. How could he get out of here? And possibly back to where his friends were now that the thought had finally crossed his mind. Marth looked around for something until he found a single piece of paper on one of the walls. _

_The picture was of a dove. Marth tore it off and saw the beak begin to move. Rarim's voice spoke to him from the page. "I finally found you, kid! Well done in weakening her!"_

_The old man's voice was a welcome relief in this place. "This realm is the one where my sister gets her energy from in a way. You have survived longer than most people in this world because you had the gall to stand up to her. She may have lost some of the soul energy she stole from you, but she still has enough to sustain herself. I thought waiting it out for her to lose her energy would've been enough, but you must exploit her weakness now that you've found it."_

_"What do you mean in 'weakness'?" Marth asked._

_"Why, it's the truth. She can't accept the reality that she made herself alone. The finishing blow is in her journal which I believe is in the hospital you're staying in right now." Rarim said._

_"I'm staying in a hospital?" The prince looked at the paper confused._

_"Your friends brought you here as soon as Reneria sucked you as dry as the desert you traveled. This is the same hospital where I stayed once so many years ago…" Rarim trailed off in memory._

_"Is there any way up you can help me to leave this realm?" Marth cut off Rarim's reminiscing._

_"I can help you leave this building, but not this realm. I do not have enough power for that. But, maybe he can." Rarim said pointing to Pikachu whose yellow shape was seen faintly from the break in the brick above._

_"Drop this paper on the floor and step back." Rarim said as the prince did as he was told._

_Rarim came out of the paper as a dove larger than the prince and almost pressed the blue-haired teen to the walls of the small confines. Large claws grabbed Marth by the shoulders and flew him upward._

_Pikachu heard the flapping and dodged Rarim who shot up like a rocket from the hole in the building. Rarim dropped Marth off next to the electric Pokemon. White wings flew out from behind them. "This is all I can do for you for now, kid."_

_"Thank you!" Marth waved back to him as he flew off into the fading dark. The light was getting stronger in this place._

_Pikachu looked relieved to see its friend. It urged the prince forward obviously knowing a way out. Marth smiled. He was relieved to see Pikachu too. Reneria was nowhere to be found. Marth didn't have time to think about that now, he thought about what Rarim told him about the journal._

_Pikachu led him to a blue door into a bright light._

Marth woke up again it was dusk again and he was in Rarim's hospital room like he was told. It felt like he had held his breath for a long time and had to focus on taking deep breaths to get used to the sensation of breathing. Mario beside him didn't stir to his awakening. He reached underneath the bed with the arm not hooked up to the IV pole and found a notebook and pen like he was expecting.

Then he heard Pikachu come in the door. It climbed up the side of the bed and gave the blue haired man a hug which he returned with one arm curling around the mouse. Marth wondered how he forgot he had friends. He was so focused on doing everything himself in that desert he thought of nothing else. He felt Pikachu falling asleep again and felt like doing so himself. It had been a long night for the both of them.

Lucario smiled from the hallway feeling Marth's aura return, but then sensed an evil aura from where the others were at


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own SSBB, Nintendo or anything else.

Read please and review!

I would like to thank the people who the time to review! I appreciate it!

[Insert Hot Blooded Hero Cry Here]

I wrote this chapter on a 112 page flipnote during a 5 hour car ride then I came home and typed this up all in the same day. It was late at night, but I was still so awake.

I admit it was a bit hard to characterize Marth because I wanted him to be in character as much as possible so I mulled it over a while before writing. Though his personality seems to have changed a lot in the Fire Emblem wiki article, I decided to mix his noble leader personality with his kind personality and later Tiki's description in FE Awakening which I got while writing this.

Marth and his companion opened their eyes after a few minutes. The prince couldn't sleep anymore now that he thought of how much he had done so blue-haired man sank back onto the bed for a bit to absorb the real world again. He felt better than he ever had in the last couple of days. Pikachu stretched out its body on the bed and yawned.

Moonlight penetrated the room through holes in the ceiling. Marth missed the sun. Rarim must have missed the sun too from the seafoam tiles in this cage. After all, the dove had stayed here for such a long time without leaving. The old man told the prince about how his parents had cared about their children and how they had hoped to give them a better life under the king. Marth had used this against Reneria to try and quell her anger, but it certainly had not been enough.

The prince had heard of Rarim's parents while he had been recovering from the blow dealt to him by the pineapple and was taking refuge in his house. The old man asked Marth what his family was like. All of them had died save his sister now that he looked back on it.

His father had been strict and Cornelius wished for the prince to grow strong no matter what and was respected by his adversaries naturally. Cornelius's wife Liza was a gentle woman who tried to calm his father's rage when the king became frustrated with his son for not being as ruthless as he. His sister and only living family brought him the same comfort. Elice was the one who was mostly around when his father was angry.

Marth had been devastated when he lost his sister and his parents, but the experience had forced him to grow. He was a fine leader now Nyna, queen of Akaneia, had said. His father would be proud Marth thought. It pained him to think of his family now.

The prince shook his mind off that and focused on what had transpired in the last hours. Marth had crossed arms with Reneria in the desert when he had tried rescue Ike. He thought he could take her on alone and prevent Pikachu from coming to any harm by tossing the yellow mouse away to safety, only to find himself being rescued by Pikachu in the Raven's personal realm and brought here. Rarim had been there in that place and told him to find that journal to stop his sister's rampage.

That's right! The journal!

He leaned forward and finally noticed the IV tugging at his arm. Marth's finger swiped under the bed and tugged out a leather-bound volume similar to his as he leaned over the side of the bed. Taking the book on his lap, he searched for the answer to everyone's problem. He peeled open the pages and a wrinkled browning paper fell onto the white sheets. The penmanship on it was scrawled and scrunched closely together.

Marth began to scan the letter.

_"Dear Reneria,_

_We are sorry we cannot come to see you. Rarim must've told you by now, but Mother and I are not allowed to come to the castle anymore. We will never give up on trying to get you back. Even though we are not here for you, we want you to know that no matter what they have done to you, you are still you. The king will never be able to change that. Though I know you are angry at his Majesty, you will only cause more pain to yourself and others if you choose revenge. Our ruler's greed will be enough to bring about his downfall when time allows. _

_We love you,_

_Mother and Father"_

Marth placed the paper back into the journal. This was enough to hopefully stop Reneria's rampage. Rarim was after this the whole time, but lacked the strength to get it himself since he wasn't able to stand up to his sister before knew she would be after the journal to destroy it. Pikachu was drifting off again. Was there really time for rest now?

There surely wasn't when Lucario urgently entered the room. "Link and Toon Link are battling downstairs against the others. We have to move! They are real, not some copies I'm sure of it!" The jackal had only meant to call down Mario who had fallen asleep to the rhythmic sound of the heart monitor, but the call had sprung Marth and Pikachu into action.

Marth drew out Falchion, but the gleam of the sword caught Mario's attention. "You need to lay down, Prince Marth. You just woke up! Are you feeling okay?"

Marth felt bad about ignoring his concern but said. "Thank you, I am fine, Mario." He smiled and said with enough conviction. "I must fight."

Mario seemed to trust him enough and unhooked him from the machines. Marth handed the plumber the journal while he was busy. "Please stay and hold onto this for me," The prince said leaving the room and Mario. Marth had a bad feeling about those two Links.

Lucario led the prince and the mouse down the sandy hall. Now that night had fallen, the only source of light now was the moonlight shining through the holes in the ceiling. Horrible shadowy spots were left that way, but the three of them stayed in the light. Marth's gut feeling mounted as they drew toward the clang of swords.

Lucario took lead and opened the door where the Link's auras were. The walls were dim but red velvet colored. There was a basketball-sized hole on the ceiling where light poured down like a spotlight. There was only the older Link under it. Marth saw fire light up from the dark out the corner of his eye. Lucas had taken cover behind the shattered glass check-in window in the now identified waiting room. Though filled with sand, shadows of black chairs were lined up in rows along the wall around the window and door.

The blow earned a clear shot on Link's arm, but the Hylian brushed it off and charged toward the young psychic with zombie-like persistence. Link didn't seem to be after Lucas in all actually and took hold of the counter. He looked over it with disappointment.

It was like Marth feared; Link's blue eyes were flashing bright pink. It dawned on the prince that the hero had been sent by the Raven to get and destroy the journal. Marth saw Link disappear into the dark after Lucas and motioned Pikachu and Lucario to follow.

The Hylian hero was almost upon Lucas when a joint punch and kick from behind the counter sent him flying through two chairs and the wall in the back of the room even with the help of his shield. Light was admitted into the room near Marth Pikachu and Lucario. The shadows from the light were revealed as Fox and co-pilot. Diddy Kong missed the punch and pushed his way in front guns readied. Link got up and brushed himself off.

The hero drew his bow, but a peanut hit him in the face before he could shoot the arrow. A PK Freeze flew out from behind the counter and froze Link's bottom half to the ground. Link grunted and reached for his bow again. Falco rushed forward and delivered a swift uppercut while the hylian struggled effectively breaking the ice, but landing a good blow to his ally turned adversary.

However, Link wobbled to his feet after all that. Falco spotted Marth, Pikachu and Lucario as he caught his breath. "You guys gonna help?" He called out to the three who had been watching the fray the whole time from his post in the limelight.

Marth felt intuition and ran in splitting a flying arrow from piercing Falco who had just finished his last word. Fox, Diddy Kong and Lucas had joined Marth and his companions as well as Falco. The co-pilot dodged a slash which was then deflected by Lucario when the Pokemon grabbed the hilt of his sword and threw him into the chairs hidden in darkness. Link scrambled to his feet then went at Lucario from the shadows with the point of the master sword aimed at the aura Pokemon's heart.

Lucario bent backwards barely dodging the potentially fatal blow with his aura senses. Pikachu took the chance to run up the broadside of the sword and kicked Link in the face making him fall back. Lucas hit him with a weak PK Thunder hoping it would be enough to knock him out.

Link had planted his sword in the ground and had tried to get up when the wall behind him exploded with light, rocks and glass as Toon Link was thrown into his older counterpart. Sheik had done that with the help of Donkey Kong. Toon Link's eyes were also bright pink.

The two Links got up and split up into the shadows left in the room. The Pokemon Trainer came through the hole where Sheik had come through. He sent out his Charizard to light the way. The dragon was followed by the illuminated figures of Peach and Samus. They had joined the search for the now missing heroes. Marth and Pikachu look lead and ventured into the shadows. While walking ever so slowly, Marth kicked a chair and whipped around only to be confronted by the dark. Samus was scouring the shadows for the two. She spotted the younger with the help of her helmet and managed to land a punch on the unsuspecting Wind Waker. It couldn't stop the unerring perseverance of the controlled hero though, so Peach and Charizard took charge. Toon Link began to retreat again turning his back and crawling forward, but was exposed by Charizard's fiery tail.

"Sorry about this, Link." Peach drew out her golf club from her bag and swung slamming the younger hero into the wall. Toon Link slid into a chair and did not get up again.

Samus found the older creeping up behind Pikachu. Pikachu could hear the slightest sound of Link's boot kicking the same chair Marth had and Skull Bashed him as soon as it turned around sending him spinning into Donkey Kong. Even after all that, Link still had fire in him to stand up. That fire was promptly put out by Meta Knight who came in on his shining wheeled hospital bed pushed by Ness, Pit and Ike. Meta Knight drove his steed into Link knocking him down and out. It seemed to have done the job when Link's eyes fazed back to blue before hitting the ground. Meta Knight slipped off the bed and was followed by the other who had participated in the fight on the other side of the room. Toon Link also seemed to have given up and his eyes also became their original color.

While everyone made their way back to Mario with the Links, both of them came to. They sat on the same bed Marth had been sitting on earlier and seemed eager to tell their tale. Sheik was ready to translate. "You see," Sheik said speaking for Older Link, "Toon Link and I were traveling together through the forest when were reached the foot of a mountain. The Ravenesss was there guarding a swirling vortex at the top of the mountain. The vortex was just a sliver, but it must've had something to do with her plan the way she was guarding it. We were going to defeat her when Wolf came out of nowhere and attacked. We tried to convince him we were all on the same side now when Ganon and Wario came. Then before we knew it, we were fighting King Dedede and Bowser. We were overwhelmed. I'm surprised the Raveness didn't try to steal out energy, but that is because she had a different agenda for us and the villains too."

Marth got the journal from Mario and showed it to everyone. "She was after this." The prince said. As he began to fill the Links in on the whole situation, another thought crossed his mind. Marth realized they must defeat the Raveness now if they were to get home now that the dimensional wound had nearly healed. If they didn't save the others who were most likely under Reneria's control and leave, they would never go home.


End file.
